SIM Anime and Gaming Club

Song of the week: "DANGAN" by B'z

Anthony returns with a weekly Jpop review. There will be a certain Japanese song covered every week with a short review, lyrics and translation.

If you have read my previous Q&A corner "Jpop Shit", you would know by now that B'z is my favorite artist.
In the top 10 list that I have made back then, the number one song was titled "DANGAN", or "Bullet" in English.

Released in 2007 in a special Extended Play album, "DANGAN" (first video) is a remake of the 1998 "Samayoeru Aoi Dangan" / Wandering Blue Bullet (second video) with more emphasis on rock instead of synth works.
"Samayoeru Aoi Dangan" by itself, is already a fucking solid song.

Matsumoto Tak managed to compose an exotic feeling song with a lot of different instruments, yet still have a prevalent rock feeling to it.
The wild sounding acoustic guitar, the percussion, and the metallophones that produced this Indonesian gamelan feel, pretty much captivated my heart.

Inaba Koshi nailed it perfectly with his insane explosive high pitched voice that blends in with the music and his vocal 'speed' that makes your heart go thump-thump.
What do I mean by 'speed'? Strictly speaking, 'speed' refers to one's vocal pacing in a song and how it has the ability to make your heart races.
Whenever the chorus comes, you will feel like taking a deep breath and scream "Toooobidasha iiii!!!" followed by the epic "Aoi dannggaaaaann!!!". You just got sucked into Inaba's 'speed'.
For example, at 2:51... That is fucking sexy.

As for the lyrics, it is straightforward and amazingly bold. Concise, yet packs one hell of a punch.
The lyrics has a number of rough phrases (that is more suitable for dialogues instead of lyrics) that you wouldn't find otherwise in an average Japanese song (esp. anime songs which are more poetic in a sense).
Those seemingly out of place phrases actually spiced up the lyrics even more, making it sound blunt, harsh, and manly. They just fit in with the music.
This is a trademark of Inaba Koshi, who always writes his lyrics with a manly feel to it.
Overall, it perfectly depicts the wild and rebellious nature of the protagonist, and how cynical he is with his boring life, craving for thrills and excitement.

Now "DANGAN" is a transformation from the exotic Samayoeru into a heavy rock track.

The pitch is obviously lower than Samayoeru and there are no backing vocals in DANGAN.
Yes, it is now possible for me to sing it in karaoke instead of the hellish high pitched Samayoeru.

Fuck, the music itself is eargasmic enough even without Inaba's vocal.
Instead of Samayoeru's prevalent acoustic guitar and synth works, Matsumoto does all the job with his rock guitar here.
His guitar solo part is bloody amazing. Different than the fast paced solo in Samayoeru, DANGAN's solo is slow, but is more explosive in a sense.
It greatly lacks the 'speed' of Samayoeru, but DANGAN is the ultimate showcase of Inaba's trademark high-pitched husky vocal and how it fits with the heavy rock theme.

Both are my undisputed number one song, but if I have to choose, I'll go with the rockish DANGAN.

ROMAJI

Kaze no tsuyoi hi wa ALLERGY sonnano kamatte irarenai
Mukin joutai ni naresugi minna achi kochi yowatteru

Kekkan no naka ga futtou suru youna
ijou na jitai (Suteki na jitai)
Nanimo tabenaide nemuranaide omoidashitemite

Tobidasha ii nakidashisouna kokoro o kette
Tabisurya ii Boku wa samayou aoi dangan

CHANNEL sugi kara sugi e kaeteru to mou asa ga kita
Ochitsuku basho arimasuka tte sonnano mada iranee

Dareka ga nokoshiteitta taikutsu
Akubi ga dechau (Gorogoro shichau)
Heiwa toiu no wa sonna mon darouka
Sonna no ari desuka

Tobidasha ii nakidashisouna kokoro o kette
Sagaseba ii machi ni kieyuku yume no kirehashi
Sayonara shiyou jitto denwa o matteru hibi ni
Tabisurya ii boku wa samayou aoi dangan

Tobidasha ii nakidashisouna kokoro o kette
Sagaseba ii machi ni kieyuku yume no kirehashi
Mou osaerarenai SHOCK ni yarare me ga sameta nara
Tabisurya ii soudasu kimi wa aoi dangan

motto... motto...
motto... motto hayaku......

TRANSLATION

Allergies in days when the wind is strong, I don't care about such things
Already used to calm and peaceful days, everyone is getting weaker here and there

I want to experience awesome moments that can boil the blood inside my veins (wonderful moments)
Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, it keeps on popping in my mind...

Soar away and fly, kick your heart which is about to cry
I want to leave on a journey, I am a wandering blue bullet

Switching channels one by one, didn't realize that morning has come
Is there a place where I can unwind and relax..... tte! I don't want that either

Who on earth left this boredom behind? I can't help but to let out a yawn (lazily yawns)
So this is the thing they called 'peace'? Yeah, does it even exist...

Soar away and fly, kick your heart which is about to cry
Go and search for the disappearing edge of dreams in the city
Say goodbye to those days of quietly waiting for phone calls
I want to leave on a journey, I am a wandering blue bullet

Soar away and fly, kick your heart which is about to cry
Go and search for the disappearing edge of dreams in the city
Can't hold it back no more, my eyes were finally opened after that shock
Leave on a journey, yes you are a blue bullet

motto... motto...
motto... motto hayaku......