ソーユートコあるよね? (SOU YUU TOKO aru yo ne? / Ain’t That Just How It Is?), the title track of SKE’s latest single, didn’t really catch me at first, but for some reason it’s recently grabbed my attention. Maybe I’m more in the mood for a pumped-up song than back in wintery Read more…
As was foretold, here’s my sub of Ota Yuuri’s final NMB song, her graduation solo “Acting tough”. Both the A-side from that single and this MV are available on NMB’s YouTube channel. The A-side MV leads directly into this one, and even more so than the title track, Acting tough’s Read more…
Have been working here and there on a couple different translations, but then Ota Yuuri’s graduation solo came up on my playlist today. I’ve been meaning to get to it, and now seems as good a time as ever! Except this isn’t her solo song – this is the title Read more…
Here’s a strange one — a B-side song from ラストアイドル (Last Idol’s) latest single 愛を知る (ai wo shiru / I Know Love) that simultaneously glamorizes and insults its audience. I don’t follow Last Idol that closely, mostly because I can’t find much translated content. But I suppose it’s like an Read more…
Hot off of Nogi’s latest single しあわせの保護色 (shiawase no hogosyoku / Camouflage of Happiness) this wonderful B-side snuck out and became by far my favorite song this spring. Just from the English in the lyrics, サヨナラ Stay with me (SAYONARA Stay with me / Goodbye… Stay with me) sounds like Read more…
I know this one’s been done before, but this has been on my list for a while for a particular reason. せっかちなかたつむり (sekkachi na katatsumuri / Impatient Snail) was the first Nogizaka song I ever heard, back before I even understood what Japanese idol groups were. It was actually part Read more…
My exploration though older AKB releases at some point brought me to this Team 4 song, なんか、ちょっと、急に… (nanka, chotto, kyuu ni… / Somehow, Just a Bit, Suddenly…) off of 唇に Be My Baby from the end of 2015. I don’t know a lot about the history of the AKB teams, Read more…
路面電車の街 (romendensha no machi / The Trolley Town) is a B-side from Nogizaka’s 24th single 夜明けまで強がらなくてもいい, and there are a few odd things about this MV. Well probably the most immediately apparent is the starring role of Takase Mana, a 19-year-old actress and model who is notably not a member Read more…
Mystery Line, a B-side with no video from AKB48’s 6th album, has special meaning for me. Well it’s not that exciting a story, but when I spent a month living in Saitama, commuting an hour and 45 minutes each way to Tokyo every day, I got lost a lot. Maybe Read more…
The first NGT song I remember hearing, and maybe the last NGT sub I’ll make. Well, I guess it’s a short list anyway. 純情よろしく (junjou yoroshiku / Take Care with My Pure Heart) is a B-side off NGT’s first single and features two of my favorite NGT members, my oshimen Read more…