Divide the World, Punchline

A blog for your daily HypMic prompt! MC 몽챙/MongChaeng MC 유카/YUKA Translator C2 All lyrics translations are work of eng-hypnosismic We can always use more fanarts/fanfics based on these posts!

[mellifluous-division]

Instead of saying goodbye

First of all, thank you everyone for your interests and likes!

Thank you @eng-hypnosismic for all those lyrics translations. Were you able to relate to the ‘translator comradeship’? (lol)

Last but not least, greatest thanks to MC. MongChaeng and MC. Yuka for amazing analysis and the permission to translate!!

From now on, this blog won’t be updated anymore, but I won’t delete it for future HypMic fandom newcomers who need a deeper, darker view of this beautifully twisted world.

Everyone, please take care! 

[mellifluous-division]

I’ve saved the best for the last

Credit to Ma-san’s amazing analysis and Yuka-san’s translation!

Attending the religious university, Ma-san wondered whether Fling Posse’s symbol is the sun cross🜨. So (s)he did some research… and the result was impressive.

The sun cross, or the cross-in-a-circle was interpreted as a solar symbol(although in modern astronomy, it represents the Earth rather than the sun. ☉ is the actual symbol for the sun, since it’s the center of our planetary system) derived from the interpretation of the disc of the Sun as the wheel of the chariot of the Sun god. For this analysis, (s)he interpreted the Sun god to be Apollo, the greek god of Sun, light, oracles, knowledge, healing, diseases, music, poetry, and songs.

Apollo is written as Ἀπόλλων in Attic, Ionic, and Homeric Greek. And guess what? λ is a lowercase lambda, or in Japanese English pronunciation, ramuda! This 11th letter in Greek alphabet indicates the wavelength of any wave in physics, electronics engineering, and mathematics. Meanwhile in 「KNOW YOUR ENEMY SIDE F.P VS M」drama track, Hifumi called Ramuda as Sigma - the 18th Greek alphabet letter whose uppercase letter Σ is most well known as the summation operator.

During TDD era, Ramuda’s (oversized) sweater had an uppercase lambda Λ in lime green. And doesn’t the arrangement of Dice’s belt resembles the lowercase lambda λ?

Back to Apollo: Animals sacred to Apollo included wolves and snakes (referencing Apollo's function as the god of prophecy). We know wolves are officially associated with Matenrou麻天狼, since the team name contains the character for wolf狼, right? And read the last several posts to find out how Jakurai is associated with snakes (in the name of medicine). Medicine and healing are also associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius(which is the point that can be tied back to Jakurai). Yet Apollo is also a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague with his arrows-

Which the Greeks highlighted by associating Apollo's name with the Greek verb ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi), "to destroy" most often. On the other hand, Plato in Cratylus connects the name with ἀπόλυσις (apolysis), "redemption", ἀπόλουσις (apolousis), "purification", ἁπλοῦν ([h]aploun), "simple", in particular in reference to the Thessalian form of the name, Ἄπλουν, and Ἀειβάλλων (aeiballon), "ever-shooting".

Remember the title of the first drama track released for the new season?

「Me Against The World」

Ramuda just wants to destroy this world to simply purify it, that is all.

[mellifluous-division]

Apparently, there are two different kinds of rod with a snake/snakes coiling around it, and people easily get confused over those two.

The rod with one snake and without wings: Rod of Asclepius. It is the symbol of medicine and health care. Asclepius was extremely skilled physician from greek mythology. It was said that a snake licked his ears clean in return of some kindness and gave his the secret knowledge about medicine. Unlike the bible, snakes were sacred beings of wisdom, healing, and resurrection to the Greeks. 

The rod with two snakes and with wings: Caduceus. It is the staff of Hermes, the god of travelers and trickery. The astrological symbol of Mercury ☿ is based on it. It is also used as the symbol of US Army Medical Corps. Ancient people drew an analogy between the snake that can swiftly move between underground and surface and Hermes, who can move across the boundary of mortal world and underworld and guide the spirit to afterlife. Caduceus is also believed to be capable of hypnotizing.

Remember how Matenrou members have religious and mythological theme naming?

Kannonzaka Doppo観音坂 独歩 is Guan Yin觀音菩薩, Buddhist bodhisattva associated with compassion, who watches over everything from heaven.

Izanami Hifumi伊弉冉一二三 is Izanami伊弉冉, Japanese Shinto goddess of creation and the queen of underworld.

And Jinguji Jakurai神宮寺寂雷 travels between heavenly shrine神宮 and the underworld to guide the spirit to afterlife.

[mellifluous-division]

The ‘snake’ coiling around Jakura’s microphone would be the snake from rod of Asclepius, for sure, but of course it can symbolize more than that

<The creature that sheds its skin> It reborns

<Venom> only to die again.

1. Jakurai can save people.

2. But he cannot save everyone

3. And some die right in front of his eyes.

4. Maybe he chose the microphone with snake to not forget that veritas

The snake-entwined rod of Asclepius is associated with medicine and health care,

But in bible, as commonly known, it is a source of wisdom AND corruption.

This made me to think that Jakurai had corrupted someone, rather than being solely corrupted by himself, and I deduced his victim was Ramuda

[mellifluous-division]

-Stella- The Analysis

[Midsection verses]

- 宇宙は塞がり

閉じ篭った暗がり

星が落とす薄明かり

照らし出す不思議な繋がり

再びを願う心だけがじっと伝わり

熱をくべる篝

羽化していく蛹 -

The sky rising forth

Tenebrosity stuck in the reservoir

Luminosity of glimmer fallen from the star

The bizarre connection reflecting

The desire to meet again still can be heard

The heat rising from the hearth

A chrysalis growing wings

Once the lonely scientist Ramuda joined Dice and Gentaro, now the trio sails toward the new goal: finding Ramuda’s hometown. The sky is rising like an ocean and only the dark blackness surrounds them. Then the glimmer, fallen from the star they do not know the name of, lights their way. That ray shines on the trio, who don’t seem like they would ever interact during their lifetime.

「The king from the tattered star who dreams of restoration」

「The thief who struggled from the boredom」

「The scientist who wants to learn love」

Although everyone has different goal, you can feel their desire to reunite with something precious to them. Now the hearth is heated, and the chrysalis spreads its yet-dry wings to prepare for the journey of beautiful butterfly after the long time of patience. The trio with bizarre connection, who once proceeded toward the faraway star, once again continues on their connection in Shibuya after the endless time has passed.

⇒ Shibuya Marble Texture -PCCS-

[mellifluous-division]

-Stella- The Analysis

<Parts of the solo verses>

「※This is solely my personal interpretation.」

Dice

-死に至る猛毒とは理想の主張か

なればこそ人を説くようだ-

Is the assertion of ideal the annihilating venom?

Maybe that is why it sounds more like a sermon

Dice is NOT the person who moves according to the ideal or assertion. Rather, the one who moves toward the ideal outcome is Doppo, the business man, an individual of the society. He’s saying that listening to what the ideal claims is same as drinking down the poison. He’s also pointing about that ideal is not always an answer. He tries to persuade people, who all proceeds toward the ideal, to reach out for the outcome other than that.

Gentaro

-妙に洒落たナリの客人だな今夜は

堕ちた先がここじゃツキも落ちたようだな

元王様か何か知らんが盗賊には

盗賊の流儀があると知れ-

Why, tonight’s guest is quite stylish.

If you’ve fallen right here, guess your luck has now vanished

I don’t care if you are the former king or whatever

But us thieves got our way of thriving, please remember

The stylish guest is Hifumi. Looks like GIGOLO paid Gentaro a visit tonight. Hifumi has now fallen at the planet of crystals and sand. Guess your luck has now vanished, He’s mocking that Matenrou’s victory was due to their fortune, not by their skills. He has no need to mind whoever the former king was-Fling Posse got their way toward the next throne!

Ramuda

-迷宮の果てにあるマテリアル

永久を糧に咲く白いカメリア

真理の前には倫理の叫びなど枷(かせ)になる-

Materials at the labyrinth’s extremity

White camellias blooming from the infinity

Cry of theory is nothing but a shackle In front of veracity

Labyrinth is a reference to Labyrinth Wall, Jakurai’s solo piece. At the end of that labyrinth lies the eternity, of which the white camellia flowers bloomed from. Camellia symbolizes ‘eternal love’ and ‘awaiting.’ The truth Ramuda believes in can be the eternal love or awaiting. In front of the true veritas, the ideal and theory Jakurai believes in so hard are just hindering Ramuda. Thus even if Jakurai lectures about them in front of the love - of which Ramuda believes to be the veracity - for thousands days, it will sound like nothing but a nonsense to him; you cannot apply ideal to love and waiting, after all.

[mellifluous-division]

……I somehow ended up associating Samatoki with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, of all things

Aohitsugi Samatoki. 碧棺左馬刻. To carve(刻) a horse(馬) on the left(左) side of the blue(碧) coffin(棺).

棺 is synonymous with 箱, which means ‘box’ and is read as ‘hako.’ Samatoki pronounces his MC name(Mr. HC) to sound more like ‘Mister Ha-ko’ rather than ‘Mister Hardcore.’ Turns out it was a pun(or word play, to be specific) with his last name, made possible by Japanese English pronunciation.

Then what would horse mean? Horse usually symbolized ‘power’ in many myths and artworks.

At some point, when I saw 碧(blue), 棺(coffin-the most common symbol of death), and 馬(horse), something sparked in my mind, and the pale horse of death galloped into my mind. The Japanese(青白い／蒼白い, あおじろい) and Korean(창백하다, 蒼白하다) vocabularies for ‘pale’ are both composed of the symbols that mean ‘blue青, 蒼’ and ‘white白,’ and this slight linguistic difference strengthened the color symbolism for me.

White Rider of Conquest: Samatoki’s childhood, when he was abused yet still had innocence and mom

Red Rider of War: Violence-what he was forced to witness with his two red eyes and now utilizing to survive, Pre-TDD Ichiro in red and black clothes, the color of 45 rabbit’s gloves  

Black Rider of Famine: Despair induced from the disbandment of TDD, The color of Rio’s uniform that allows him to blend to the surrounding.

Pale Rider of Death: MTC. Samatoki himself.

The fact that there is not a single drop of yellow for ‘light’ only highlights his despairing life.

Last but not least, if you use goroawase to switch 左left to 三three(both are pronounced as ‘sa’), and replace 刻to carve with 時time(both are pronounced as ‘toki’). We now have ‘the time of three horses.’ Or should I say ‘the time of a white horse, a red rabbit, and a black bush warbler?’ Whatever time it is, the three members of MAD TRIGGER CREW can be together within the time of blue.

[mellifluous-division]

The primary theme of Division All Stars(which is a reference to Southern All Stars, Japan’s beloved national rock band) is the contrasting duality:

Ikebukuro: red for fire, standard protagonist team ⇔ Yokohama: blue for water, standard antagonist team

Shibuya: yellow for light, lively 20s ⇔ Shinjuku: grey for shadow, serious 30s

Shinjuku especially is the city of duality. Every member has the dual personality:

Jakurai has the usual calm one and the drunken one,

Hifumi has the ‘on-suit’ host one and ‘off-suit’ gynophobic one,

And Doppo has the apologizing office worker one and aggressive rapper one.

In fact, Hifumi and Doppo’s concept might be inspired from the actual geography of the city:

Shinjuku Station, the world's most crowded station, bisects the city. 

The eastern half is full of department stores and shopping malls; notable example is Kabukicho. 

Meanwhile the western half is full of office buildings; notable example is Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Hifumi from east, where the sun rises, bright and flashy.

Doppo from west. where the sun sets, shady and gloomy. 

The light and shadow form the balance, pretty much like Yin and Yang, in the monochrome city of Shinjuku, under the guidance of the god Jakurai.

[mellifluous-division]

『Wound』

{Buster Bros!!!}

The team who would treat the wound and cheer up each other to continue proceeding together

{MAD TRIGGER CREW}

The team who would ignore their wounds and charge forward

{Fling Posse}

The team who would hide their fester with clothes and continue to proceed

{Matenrou}

The team who would cure the festered wound

{Buster Bros!!!}

As a leader, Ichiro would treat the wound and cheer up his two brothers to continue proceeding together, but he would be the only one who is unaware that himself is the most hurt one.

He doesn’t care about how his brothers will feel, who would be forced to witness their eldest brother becoming a mess right in front of them yet cannot comfort and forced to follow him…

{MAD TRIGGER CREW} 

Ignoring whatever wound they earned, they will continue running to achieve their goal.

Right. Just like the moths those were lured by the bright light and throw themselves to the fire, not knowing it will burn them to death…

And when they finally realize their body burning, it would be too late to escape safely.

{Fling Posse}

As if they don’t care about their wound, as if it wasn’t there since the beginning, they would hide their fester with clothes and continue to proceed as usual.

It’d be like covering the red paint sprayed on the clean paper with the white paint and then drawing with the color you want on top of it.

Even if they added hundreds of layers, the original paper will be…

{Matenrou}

No matter how festered the wound is, they will cut it open and cure it.

They will cure any kind of wound, both the newly gained one and the one from past.

They’ll even cure the wound that began to feel like the part of themselves,

As if it was not there since the beginning,

Even if that is what he did not wanted.

[mellifluous-division]

Hashtag Japanese geography crash course with HypMic (+Also quick language crash course

Apparently Ikebukuro(marked red), Shibuya(marked yellow), and Shinjuku(marked grey) are 3 major secondary central business district of Tokyo(marked magenta).

Meanwhile Yokohama(marked blue) is the second largest(right after Tokyo) city in Japan, and serves as an outport for Tokyo.

For the meaning of each city, I decided to go backward from Tokyo to Bukuro:

東京 Tokyo: 東 = east 京= capital

新宿 Shinjuku: 新=new 宿=inn, lodge

渋谷 Shibuya: 渋=astringent 谷=valley

横浜 Yokohama: 横=side, horizontal 浜=bay

Yokohama division’s album ‘BAYSIDE M.T.C’ and Jyuto’s solo ‘Bayside Smoking Blues’ are obviously referring to this. 

池袋 Ikebukuro: 池 = pond, reservoir 袋 = sack

Owl in Japanese is pronounced as ‘fukurouふくろう,’ which sounds similar to bukuro. In fact, the owl has been a community symbol in Ikebukuro, thought to bring good luck. Located in the basement of JR Ikebukuro Station since 1987, this certain owl statue has been famous meet-up spot in Ikebukuro.

(From left: Saburo, Ichiro, Jiro)

You can also find three owls in Hoodstar MV:

From this another screenshot from Hoodstar, you can see four emblems for each division on the subway-like diagram.

Ikebukuro: Owl, as explained above.

Yokohama: Skull, following Samatoki’s skull-themed design, as can be seen in his shirt and microphone.

Shibuya: Candy, a reference to Ramuda’s last name Amemura飴村, which means ‘candy village’

Shinjuku:  Wolf, a reference to Matenrou麻天狼, which roughly translates into ‘hemp’s heavenly wolf’ 

But what about the line layout? Is it simply the creative design? No. I came across this particular tweet- 

It says the world of HypMic is actually inspired by Nagoya, of all cities!

Above is the diagram of the subway lines in Nagoya.

Yellow line: 東山線 Higashiyama Line. Line number 1. Translates into roughly ‘East Mountain Line’

Purple line: 名城線 Meijou Line. Line number 2 and 4(it’s a bit complicated). Translates into roughly ‘Name Castle Line’  

Lavender double line: 名港線 Meikou Line. Line number 2. Translates into roughly ‘Name Harbor Line’  

Blue line:  鶴舞線 Tsurumai Line. Line number 3. Translates into roughly ‘Crane Dance Line’  

Red line: 桜通線 Sakuradouri Line. Line number 6. Translates into roughly ‘Through Cherry Blossom Line’  

Pink line: 上飯田線 Kamiiida Line. Line number 7. Translates into roughly ‘Above Rice Field Line’  

Find the four lines that have colors of four divisions. Don’t they look strikingly similar?

For last but not least, here’s the screenshot from good ol’ Google Maps. Subway lines are represented as grey lines.

[mellifluous-division]

Gentaro wished for a friend, said friend later became sick, causing Gentaro to blame himself for his friend's suffering, thinking his wish is at fault. Dice wished for perfect luck, but since such doesn't exist in this world, it was merely great, still causing him to rely too much on it, becoming broke as a result. Ramuda wished for a world that would allow him to ward off his boredom violently, but he has already started to lose. A wish in the place of a heart... can't bring true happiness.

When you wish upon a star... everything comes falling down!

That is the fundamental concept of Fling Posse: they are the team of nihilists who just wants to have fun and (as some extension from fun) happiness, but the cruel world wouldn’t let them. So when they met one another, it was a matter of time for them to lend each other the shoulder to cry on.

However, brighter the light becomes, the shadow darkens more - Fling Posse is also the team with most connection to supposed evil, or in HypMic world, the government. Ramuda is the canon spy, and Gentaro is chasing Ramuda’s truth, while Dice is strongly implied to be the son of Otome, the prime minister.

They’re struggling to seek emotional peace, and each has found the temporary sanctuary: Ramuda and his candy drops, Gentaro and his stories and lies, Dice and his passion for gambling.

At least, that’s what I think!

[mellifluous-division]

Doppo gives me some Van Gogh vibe…

He might seem living quietly as a shadow, concealed by the crowd, but when he raps, he does possess a clear world and worldview. But when the world realize his value at last, would Dopp still be there after living day after day in gloom?

Welp, unsurprisingly, in fact Van Gogh is directly mentioned in one of the his lyrics:

Using original colors, just like Van Gogh. I, who paint with words, am Doppo!

[mellifluous-division]

Almost everyone from HypMic seems to be proud of the path or job they chose. At the same time, it serves as their definite identity.

Of course, Doppo is obviously the exception. Isn’t is depressing to just imagine how he must’ve had so little chance to make choices during his lifetime?

[mellifluous-division]

When you listen to each division’s piece, although it contains the introduction of all members, the overall atmosphere is strongly contrasting.

{Buster Bros!!!}

Come along and follow us!!

{MAD TRIGGER CREW}

This ain’t the place for you.

{Fling Posse}

We’ll paint you with our colors♥

{Matenrou}

…You’re laughing?

{Buster Bros!!! : IKEBUKURO WEST GAME PARK}

Come along with your voices, let’s go beyond the furthest of the limits!!

Yamada household’s three brothers’ theme song is the best piece to lighten up the atmosphere. Fast hip-hop beat and lyrics that encourages people to sing along. If you’re enjoying the concert with Buster Bros, you might be actually able to yell beyond the furthest of your limit.

{MAD TRIGGER CREW : Yokohama Walker}

This isn’t a place where nothing happens all day

They’re saying Yokohama might seem captivating, but actually is a dangerous place with loads of yakuzas and hooligans. Rap lyrics narrated over serene R&B melody creates the peaceful atmosphere unlike the actual meaning of lyrics.

This song makes you confused whether Yokohama is actually safe or not.

{Fling Posse : Shibuya Marble Texture -PCCS-}

I want to wander on top of the palette, so take your time

As if the song is taking a fluttering step over cute and soft melody, Posse’s piece has the charm that seems to lure people. Their music almost makes the listeners to follow them without noticing-right, just like the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

{Matenrou : Shinjuku Style～Don’t Make Me Laugh～}

Don’t interfere, get out of the way.

Singing along rock melody almost like spitting out the chewed lyrics. This is the song that shows the totally unexpected yet true side of Shinjuku division.

It is the story of adults who have tasted every bitterness of society as they age. In Shinjuku, you should not joke around.

…You laugh?

…You think this is funny?

[mellifluous-division]

(Illustration from second collaboration with Sweets Paradise buffet restaurants)

Buster Bros!!! is 「macarons」

MAD TRIGGER CREW is 「frosted sugar cookies」

Matenrou is 「cake slices」

Fling Posse is 「donuts」

Can be as small as a bite size or as big as a child’s palm. Colorful, crunchy, sweet and pleasant coque. Garniture of your taste melt off on your tongue!!

Macaron makes you happy whenever you eat it!

You can draw any shape you want!

Just a pretty but tasteless decoration? Nonsense!! No other dessert can beat its sweetness!!!

It seems simple, but it actually requires more effort than you think-frosted sugar cookies are the canvases of desserts!

Standard steady seller for tea time.

There are various possible ingredients, and the recipe is the composition of hundred of techniques and experiences!!

Young children cannot copy the adult’s elegant art of delicate taste of the cake!

Colorful frostings♡

It can be chewy!! It can be soft!!

It’s cute and create various flavors!!

You can eat it while you’re walking too!

Although the base remains unchanged, the completed donut can have thousands of variations of flavors-why should it not be the friend of free-spirited young people?

※Attention※

This is not an advertisement. 

[mellifluous-division]

From Hifumi’s lyrics from Death Respect, once again you can see Hifumi’s 「obsession」 toward fashion and aspiration.

In BATTLE BATTLE BATTLE, he dissed Gentaro’s fashion as that from the wrong era and Gentaro himself as the one who is living in the past, in the Meiji era(1/25/1868 ~ 11/9/1912).

Now in Death Respect, he mocks Rio’s fashion: navy uniform.

Rio’s navy uniform is the symbol of former navy, whom the current government had eradicated. Rio hopes for the revival of military, to the point where he camps out alone in the middle of the forest.

However, to Hifumi who who always proceeds toward aspiration, all of that will seem to be nothing but a failure to adapt to fast-changing world and being worn out.

[mellifluous-division]

From Jakurai’s lyrics:

<With an endoscope to see right through you>

It might be Doppo, internally annihilated with all those stress. 

<If you leave everything to me, you won’t feel any pain (It doesn’t hurt!)>

If Hifumi is saying that 'it doesn’t hurt' after he too have experienced it,

<But should you defy me, you’ll end up in your grave>

Jakurai might have quite a grip on his two fight dogs