Reflecting Nine

(Miku, Luka; デスおはぎ) マスターオブパペッツ [Master of Puppets]

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:50:51 GMT

Sorry, about the few weeks without a translation. I'm currently in the midst of a bunch of life things happening at once.

This song is a translation requested from a friend.

"Master of Puppets" by Miku Hatsune and Luka Megurine
Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Death Ohagi (デスおはぎ)
Song: Miku Hatsune and Luka Megurine
NicoNico Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Master of Puppets )

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(Yukari; フライングジラフ) ピジョンホテル [Pigeon Hotel]

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:05:45 GMT

I love the melody and tuning of Yukari in this song, but I am not sure about my translation. So, I must ask that this translation be taken with a grain of salt.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Flying Giraffe (フライングジラフ)
Song: Yukari Yuzuki
NicoNico Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Pigeon Hotel )

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(Yukari; かごめＰ) Tiny PaRadisE

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:21:36 GMT

Since I cannot count on YouTube links to remain active, I will be linking to the NicoNico video only from now on. Sorry for any inconvenience, but I don't have the time or energy to go back and check for active links and replace broken ones (if possible).

Yukari Yuzuki is one of the newer Vocaloid 3 software. Yukari is unique because her voice has a singing voice bank and a speaking one. I am enjoying the producers use of singing and speaking in the songs.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Kagome-P (かごめＰ）
Song: Yukari Yuzuki
NicoNico Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Tiny PaRadisE )

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(Miku; LIQ) SICKthty [9] victim consciousness

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:45:59 GMT

This is the last of the requested LIQ translations I will be doing. It appears to have a similar dating sim gone dark theme as the previous.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: LIQ
Song: Miku Hatsune (Append)
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( SICKthty [9] victim consciousness )

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(Rin & Len; むーとＰ) TRUST & BRAVE

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:15:05 GMT

While I'm now done with holiday things, I'm now sick with a cold.

However, this song is a pure guilty pleasure. Vocaloid and Tiger & Bunny together in a catchy song? I couldn't help but translate it, and it just came out for Rin and Len's 4th "birthday."

Luka is Agnes Joubert. Len is Ivan Karelin/Origami Cyclone. Rin is Pao-Lin Huang/Dragon Kid.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Muuto-P (むーとＰ)
Song: Rin & Len Kagamine
NicoNico Link
Google Doc, side by side

( TRUST & BRAVE )

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(Luna; へっどふぉん) ウェイバーホイッスル [Way Bar Whistle]

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:05:57 GMT

(Luna; へっどふぉん) ウェイバーホイッスル [Way Bar Whistle]

Spontaneous short translation.

Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement: Headfone (へっどふぉん)
Song: Luna Amane
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Way Bar Whistle )

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Hiatus

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:49:29 GMT

I'm putting updating this journal on hold for the month of November as my attention is spread a little too thin with NaNoWriMo and holiday gift knitting. Song translations may resume in December provided I am far enough along in the gift creation.

Thanks for understanding!

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(Miku; LIQ) Яaison D'etre [Reason for Living]

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:34:21 GMT

My friend Amy requested a few LIQ translations. The original title for this song is French for "Reason for Existence." It's about a man playing a dating sim... with a dark side?

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: LIQ
Song: Miku Hatsune (Append: Dark, Solid)
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Яaison D'etre )

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(Rin; 光収容) ケモノラ [Kemonora]

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:59:35 GMT

The title translate roughly to something like "beast people," but I thought the romaji would work well enough. Also, until another song is released, this is the last of series of translations had I planned to do for this producer and NEGI.

"Kemonora" by Kagamine Rin
Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Kemonora )

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(ぼろん; 梨本Ｐ) 僕はまだ本気出してないだけ [I Haven't Gone All Out Yet]

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:45:15 GMT

This is actually a cover of a Miku Hatsune song done by Boron. His version has the addition of rap lyrics. Therefore, I'm placing Boron as the singer, but I'll still label this song with the Vocaloid and Miku tags.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Nashimoto-P (梨本Ｐ)
Song: Boron (ぼろん); Miku Hatsune (original)
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( I Haven't Gone All Out Yet )

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(Rin; 光収容) 運命サイダー [Fate Cider]

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:18:34 GMT

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Fate Cider )

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(Lily; niki) HYBRID

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:07:12 GMT

I believe I have just translated a song about getting high on drugs...

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: niki
Song: Lily
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( HYBRID )

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(Rin; 光収容) 境界 [Border]

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:15:22 GMT

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Border )

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(Rin; ゆうゆ) Endroll A

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:28:12 GMT

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Yuuyu (ゆうゆ)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Endroll A )

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(Rin; 光収容) 自白 [Confession]

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:17:26 GMT

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Confession )

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(Rin; 光収容) 仄暗い昼 [Gloomy Days]

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:18:39 GMT

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Gloomy Days )

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(Rin; 光収容) Normalize

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:40:42 GMT

This will be in the first of a series of songs by Hikari Shuuyou. This producer does a lot of Rin songs that I enjoy. Rin and guitar are made for each other.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Hikari Shuuyou (光収容)
Song: Rin Kagamine

NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Normalize )

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(Gumi; kermit) Midnight Cookies

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:56:38 GMT

This is a calming song that appears to be about the aftermath of a lover's squabble.

I am a little confused as to who is the producer for this song. The uploader was kermit, but the name kermit doesn't appear in the PV. I'm sticking with kermit for now.

Lyrics: Koyuki (こゆき)
Music: coolguitar
Uploader: kermit
Song: Gumi
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Midnight Cookies )

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(Gumi; Eon) きみのため [For Your Sake]

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:55:22 GMT

Lyrics: nuru
Composition & Arrangement: Eon
Song: Gumi
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( For Your Sake )

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Use of Pronouns in Japanese Lyrics

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:41:43 GMT

Instead of posting a translation to a song or going through and sorting through pictures and art to post, I thought I would share something I learned in my Japanese Drama and Lyric class.

In songs, the gender of the protagonist can be found through the pronouns used along with word choice and sentence ending particles. The singer does not always share the same gender as the protagonist. A female voice can sing through the perspective of a male protagonist. Similarly, a male voice can sing through the perspective of a female protagonist. This has been in practice for a long time in Japan (since Enka), and it's quite natural for the singer and protagonist to not share the same gender. It only takes one look at the Utatte Mita song cover scene in Nico Nico Douga to see this in action. Some may change the pronouns to create a male perspective, but others leave them as is.

The change of pronouns used in songs occurred over time as women gained more power and respect, and men could be seen as softer or gentler. Women also became more independent and was a new market to sell songs to. For the hip hop genre, the men are outside the norm, using "ore" once more yet also "anata."

In the US, I've noticed that the singer and protagonist generally share the same gender when using first and second person pronouns. However, if third person pronouns are used, then the protagonist can be a different gender. That isn't to say there aren't crossovers, but I haven't heard as many and would be surprised to hear one. However, it wasn't until someone commented to me that the "flipped perspective" in the Vocaloid songs must be a trend that the difference between the two cultures was truly present to me. For someone who doesn't know about the singer-protagonist difference, it would seem like something new and different when really it's not.

This is also why I make an effort to guess the perspective of the song because it can change the meaning in those romantic songs at times.

Here is a Google Spreadsheet that breaks down the changes. I would have made the table in this page, but I have yet to learn the CSS for it.

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(Taya; 朱雀P) 激情 [Violent Emotions]

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:36:29 GMT

Taya Soune is one of my favorite UTAU, and this is his most well known song. As it turns out, it's a yandere one. (It's hard to understand such rapid fire lyrics)

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Suzaku-P (朱雀P)
Song: Taya Soune
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Violent Emotions )

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(Gumi; buzzG) 祭囃子 [Festival Band]

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:05:40 GMT

This lucky producer got access to Gumi's Extend before it was released. I fell in love with the song instantly, and I've had in on repeat for the past few days. The text PV is fun to watch with how it twists and turns with the lyrics.

... The MMD PV, however, creeps me out to no end and cuts and pieces together the lyrics in a different order.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: buzzG
Song: Gumi Extend (Power Rev. Zero)
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Festival Band )

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(Gumi; 人生P) Double O

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:26:47 GMT

This was just a fun song to listen to, so I decided to translate it. It was harder than it looked but not as hard as some of the ones of late.

Lyrics, Composition, & Arrangement: Jinsei (人生P )
Song: Gumi
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Double O )

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(Miku; ミュムP) ERiKA

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:04:11 GMT

This is another requested song from Jeni.

I'm not entirely confident in this translation. All throughout translating it, I had trouble and difficulties in understand what the song was supposed to be about. With some help from Taco, we guessed the two Miku's in the PV represent two sides of her ("you"/Erika?), the man shown in the background being the protagonist of the song, and the song being about love and betrayal.

It still confuses me.

Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement: Myumu P (ミュムP)
Song: Miku Hatsune
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( ERiKA )

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(Shou; へっどふぉん) Encounter

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:51:42 GMT

(Shou; へっどふぉん) Encounter

Yet another requested song, this time by Jeni. This UTAU has an amazing voice, and Headfone did a really great job tuning it. I think this song is about love, loss, and reincarnation. Or perhaps just a lot of bad breakups.

Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement: Headfone (へっどふぉん)
Song: Shou Kaneyama
NicoNico Link
YouTube Link
Google Doc, side by side

( Encounter )

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