Setsunai Reply

Title:                切ないリプライ | Setsunai Reply | Painful Reply
Info:                 AKB48 4th Original Album - Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de tobe!
Member(s):        Sashihara Rino

海沿いの旧道を カーブ２つ過ぎれば　ほら バスの窓　フレームインする 懐かしい恋の景色 使ってない灯台に ２人迷い込んだ後で ぎこちないキスの仕方に 波の音が冷やかしてた 切ないリプライ 君のTwitterを読んで あの夏を思い出したんだ 一瞬だったね まるでひまわりの花 風に揺れて 消えてった 部屋の中　閉じこもり スキャンダルに怯えた恋 強引に君を連れ出し サングラスのデートをした 大胆なことを言う まるで僕を試すように 本当は傷つきやすい イノセントな大人の少女 できないリプライ 君のTwitterを閉じて もう一度サヨナラと言った 今でも好きだよ 遠い打ち上げ花火 空の彼方 消えてった 切ないリプライ 君のTwitterを読んで あの夏を思い出したんだ 一瞬だったね まるでひまわりの花 風に揺れて 消えてった

umizoi no kyuudou wo KAABU futatsu sugireba hora BASU no mado FUREEMUIN suru natsukashii koi no keshiki tsukatte nai toudai ni futari mayoikonda ato de gikochinai KISU no shikata ni nami no oto ga hiyakashiteta setsunai RIPURAI kimi no Twitter wo yonde ano natsu wo omoidashitanda isshun datta ne marude himawari no hana kaze ni yurete kietetta heya no naka tojikomori SUKYANDARU ni obieta koi gouin ni kimi wo tsuredashi SANGURASU no DEETO wo shita daitan na koto wo iu marude boku wo tamesu you ni hontou wa kizutsuki yasui INOSENTO na otona no shoujo dekinai RIPURAI kimi no Twitter wo tojite mou ichido SAYONARA to itta ima demo suki da yo tooi uchiagehanabi sora no kanata kietetta setsunai RIPURAI kimi no Twitter wo yonde ano natsu wo omoidashitanda isshun datta ne marude himawari no hana kaze ni yurete kietetta

On the old road by the coast Look, after going round these two curves The bus window creates a frame For this scene of nostalgic love We’d wandered into That abandoned lighthouse And we’d kissed so awkwardly Even the roaring waves laughed at us It’s a painful reply – Reading your Twitter post Made me remember that summer It was so short-lived, wasn’t it? Like a sunflower That trembled in the wind And disappeared Staying cooped up in the room We loved in fear of creating a scandal But I forced you out of the house To go on a sunglasses date You say such daring things Like you’re trying to test me But you’re really a fragile, Innocent young woman It’s a reply that I can’t make – I closed your Twitter page And once again uttered ‘goodbye’ I still love you even now But the fireworks high above On the far side of the sky Have disappeared It’s a painful reply – Reading your Twitter post Made me remember that summer It was so short-lived, wasn’t it? Like a sunflower That trembled in the wind And disappeared

It's a bit of a pity that this song has a repetitive electronic tune that is rather forgettable, because the lyrics are actually pretty clever. This is an interesting example of Aki-P writing a song specifically for one of the the members. In this particular instance, there are 2 very obvious inside references: 1) Sashihara Rino (aka Sasshi) is known to have a very active and vibrant Twitter account; (2) she was famously involved in a scandal that caused her to be transferred to HKT48 as punishment (hence the "loving in fear of a scandal").

Of course, these lyrics also deal with the larger issue of Japanese idols secretly dating guys, even though many idols are explicitly banned from doing so (including all the girls in the AKB48 group). The debate concerning the propriety of dating bans has been going on for a long time, but regardless, it is still a taboo topic that is rarely talked about, much less sung about. As such I find this song very refreshing in that it bridges the gap between bittersweet, reminiscing romance songs (e.g. 7kaime no Les Mis, Tomodachi no Mama de) and fluffy, idealistic songs about idols (e.g. Idol Nante Yobanaide, Enkyori Poster). Not only is it a fairly realistic scenario, but the reference to Sasshi's actual scandal also lends a whole new dimension of realism to the song.

I was also caught by the emotional depth in the first few lines of the chorus. You can really feel the distance the persona now feels between the idol and himself. He's just a normal dude, and after their relationship ended he goes back to being a normal dude. She as still an idol, a public figure; countless people know her name, and her face routinely appears on CD covers, billboards, variety shows etc. etc. The feeling of being more than a fan, of having a special connection with her ("you're really a fragile, innocent young woman") is exhilarating, but there are many downsides. Even back when they were together, they had to go on "sunglasses dates", and now as he reads her tweets --tweets which are also read by her 1 million followers-- he feels inexplicable pain due to his ongoing realization that she lives in a completely different world from him.

Having said all that, the song is curiously ambiguous as to whether they were eventually found out or not. It is a little ironic for Aki-P to romanticize a secret relationship with an idol in this way, isn't it? *cough cough* I'm glad he did though. It makes for some very interesting lyrics. Though I wonder how Sasshi feels when she sings this song...

(All kanji/kana and romaji lyrics on this site are taken from Studio48 unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce anything from this site without giving due credit.)