The OP to Darker than Black ~Meteor Twins~ came out this week. At first, sales seemed disappointing: it entered the Oricon charts at #14. But on succeeding days, it has climbed to #8 and now #4.That looks to me like a song selling itself, rather than being sold by the anime it is associated with. Most anime songs enter the charts at the highest position they ever reach.Good work for a teenage all-girl rock trio from Okinawa. Here is the live-action version of the song, Tsukiakari no Michishirube ツキアカリのミチシルベ "Guided by Moonlight":<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FqBXIB_Cj5I&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FqBXIB_Cj5I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>The group formed in Okinawa in 2007. Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Aimi (front, below) is from Okinawa and just turned 19. Bassist Nohana (left) is from Nagasaki (Kyushu) and just turned 20. Drummer Shiho is from Okinawa, and just turned 19. The group was discovered in 2008 after appearing on a Tokyo FM radio station, and was signed by Sony's gr8 records. Their first single was Bleach ED17, "Hitohira no Hanabira."In 2009, they have had a string of singles and one album: "Namida no Mukou" (Gundam00 II OP2), "I Do It" (written by another Sony artist, YUI), "Smilife" (Yatterman theme song), and album "Hydrangea ga Saiteru." And they did a song for a TV commercial for Lipton's.Four of their releases have reached the weekly top 20, with the Gundam ED at #2 and their album at #7. In a year and a half, they have gone from high school to rock stars.The group's leader is Aimi, who writes their songs, sings lead, and plays lead guitar. She is a tiny bundle of energy, at 148cm (5'10"), and describes herself as stubborn and naive. In her official profile, she says she likes running, cats, and manga. Asked what she likes to eat, she replies: "Food." What would she like to try doing? "Skydiving."Photo below: (l-r) Shiho, Aimi, Nohana.Bassist Nohana (right) says one of her favorite expressions is "cellphone-dependent," which she is. She says she is extremely shy, but asked what she'd like to try doing, she says: "Playing live in the Budokan." That is the big arena in Tokyo that only very popular acts get to play.Drummer Shiho (left) says she herself is dark and introverted, and has a fear of heights, but likes to charge forward recklessly.Here they are in a live TV performance of their Bleach ED, "Hitohira no Hanabira":<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/99Dm0wHB9QA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/99Dm0wHB9QA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Here is the PV.And here is the PV and a "making of" video for their song written by YUI, "I Do It":<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hEji_a2SP34&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hEji_a2SP34&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>YUI actually went to the studio in Okinawa to work with them. Hey, it's a holiday, too. And her music and theirs are similar.Discography:Singles"Hitohira no Hanabira" (ヒトヒラのハナビラ, "A Single Petal") (November 5, 2008) - (Bleach ED 17)"Namida no Mukou" (泪のムコウ, "On the Other Side of Tears") (February 11, 2009) - (Gundam00 season 2 OP2) #2 on weekly Oricon chart (60,096 sold)"I do it" - collaboration with YUI. (April 22, 2009) #13 (9,603 sold)"Smilife" - (August 19, 2009) - (Yatterman theme song) #20 (5,665 sold)"Tsukiakari no Michishirube" (ツキアカリのミチシルベ, "Guided by Moonlight") (November 4, 2009) - (Darker Than Black 2 OP)Album "Hydrangea ga Saiteiru" (ハイド.ランジアが咲いている, A hydrangea blooms) (June 17, 2009) #7 (22,879 sold)Hard to say how well their new single will sell overall. It missed the big initial sales that tie-up with a more popular anime can bring, so it probably won't rank very high on this first week's charts. But perhaps its sales will sustain for a while, unlike most anime tie-ups.LinksEnglish official siteWikipediaJapanese official siteJapanese WikipediaYouTube searchOricon rankings page (Japanese only)Here is the animated TV version of the OP for Darker than Black 2:<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3VPwtNgIeE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j3VPwtNgIeE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>For those who read Japanese, here is a transcription of Aimi's lyrics for the song, "Tsukiakari no Michishirube" ("Guided by Moonlight"). From this Japanese blog. Sorry, no full translation. In general, the lyrics are from the point of view of someone, probably a student, who is leading a very same, sad life and doesn't know which way to go. In the end, she is guided by the moonlight breaking through the clouds, shining on her way ahead, and knows the answer is within her and she has to keep moving forward, painful as things may get, becoming stronger. This is the full version of the lyrics, as in the first video on this page. The OP only takes its lyrics from the fifth and sixth stanzas, with the moon shining on the way ahead, and makes no mention of ordinary life, so there is nothing that wouldn't apply to Suou, the show's protagonist:ツキアカリのミチシルベDARKER THAN BLACK -流星の双子-のOP答えのない毎日がただ過ぎていく時間がこれから先どうなるのだろう���わからない・・・闇よりも深い夜の孤独に惑わされていただれかに今気づいてほしい・・・ここから逃げ出したいから窓から見える朝焼け部屋に鳴り響く音アラームに起こされて薄暗い中 家飛び出すよカバンの中には何も変わらない平凡詰め込んでそしていつもの場所へだれかが言った言葉が気になって 惑わされて争いたくなんてないから何も言えない夢や理想はあるけれど気持ちばかり先に行って現実がずっと後ろからボクを見てるねぇだれか教えてみんなそうなのかな���今日が幸せならそれでいいと思えるって幼いころには確かにあったよ夢を追いかけたでもそれも遠い記憶答えのない毎日がただ過ぎていく時間がこれから先どうなるのだろう���わからない・・・ツキアカリのミチシルベ雲を越えボクに届け進むべき道を照らしてよ今日がどんなに壊れそうでも何があっても何があっても信じてたいからあの日の遠い記憶 呼び覚ますから忘れないでね 胸に刻みつけ答えは自分の中に必ずあるものだからあきらめないで強く生きることをやめないで悲しすぎて前に進めない時でも共に悩み歩んだぼくらに風は吹くどこまででも
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