Kousetsu Samonji, Souza Samonji | kenty, Madotsuki@ | Yushu no Toki
Regular Pink: Souza
Italics Blue: Kousetsu
Bold: Both
籠に囚われ ただ愛される
Kago ni toraware tada aisa reru
Trapped in a cage, only to be loved
手を伸ばすことさえも
Te o nobasu koto sae mo
Even reaching out is impossible
悲しみに満ち 戦う日々に
Kanashimi ni michi tatakau hibi ni
These days filled with sorrow and struggle
いつか終わりはくるのか
Itsuka owari wa kuru no ka
Will they ever come to an end?
相反するがゆえに惹かれ
Aihansuru ga yue ni hika re
We are drawn to each other because we are opposites
輪廻を繰り返す
Rin’ne o kurikaesu
And we repeat the cycle of reincarnation
明日を信じていたい
Asu wo shinjite itai
I want to believe in tomorrow
消えない印を胸に刻まれた
Kienai shirushi o mune ni kizama reta
An indelible mark is etched into my heart
幾千の夢散り逝けども
Ikusen no yume chiri ikedomo
Thousands of dreams scatter and die
自由を願って
Jiyuu o negatte
Longing for freedom
空を見上げることさえ
Sora o miageru koto sae
Looking up at the sky
許されないんだ
Yurusa renai nda
It's unacceptable
戦うことで 護れるならば
Tatakau koto de mamoreru naraba
If fighting can protect them
罪を背負うことさえも
Tsumi o seou koto sae mo
Then I can stand the burden of guilt
瞳を閉じるたび 記憶を映す
Me o tojiru tabi kioku o utsutsu
Every time I close my eyes, memories replay
炎に魅せられたまま
Honoo no mise rareta mama
Where I am still captivated by flames
背負うものの意味を知らずに
Soeu mono no imi o shirazu ni
Without knowing the meaning behind what I carried on my shoulders
生きていられたなら
Ikite i raretanara
That’s how I lived
幸せと言えるのか
Shiawase to ieru no ka
Is this what they call happiness?
救いを求めて差し出された手を
Sukui o motomete sashidasa reta te o
You extend your hand as a plea for help
強くつかんで 離さないで
Tsuyoku tsukande hanasanaide
Hold me closer and don’t let go
どこまでも行こう
Dokomademo ikou
Let’s go everywhere
いつか信じた答えに
Istuka shinji kotae ni
So that the answer we believe in
巡り合えるよう
Meguriaeru you
Will one day be found
嗚呼移りゆく季節はこんなにも美しいのに
Aa, utsuri yuku kisetsu wa kon’nanimo ustukushi no ni
Ah, the changing seasons are so beautiful
移りゆく時代には代償を
Utsuri yuku jidai ni wa daishou o
Yet the changing times come at a cost
消えない印を胸に刻まれた
Kienai shirushi o mune ni kizama reta
An indelible mark is etched into my heart
幾千の夢散り逝けども
Ikusen no yume chiri ikedomo
Thousands of dreams scatter and die
どこまでも行こう
Dokomademo ikou
Let’s go everywhere
いつか信じた答えに
Istuka shinji kotae ni
So that the answer we believe in
巡り合えるよう
Meguriaeru you
Will one day be found
"I am ...just like a bird trapped in a cage."
"Will there ever be a day when the fighting will cease?"
This song references the histories of both swords. And this fact greatly helped me identify which utaite represented which sword, in turn helping me determine who sang what. I had the hardest time with this because somehow kenty and Madostuki sound similar in some parts and it shot me 57 times.
Souza Samonji, represented by kenty and the first voice we hear, mentions being trapped in a cage, only as something to be gawked at and not used for anything more. The second voice we hear is from Kousetsu, sung by Madostuki. He laments the fact that “sorrow and struggle” seem neverending.
Historically, we know that the Souza Samonji sword was owned by all 3 Great Unifiers of Japan at some point. However, he wasn’t used for battle. He was instead a prized possession, a spoil of war, something only to be displayed. Souza in the game hates the fact that he was merely something to be looked at rather than used.
His hatred for Oda Nobunaga stems from the fact that after his body was seized during the Battle of Okahazama, Nobunaga both shortened the Souza blade and inscribed “On the 19th day of the fifth month of Eiroku three through the killing of Yoshimoto this sword came into the possession of Oda Owari-no-kami Nobunaga,” on the tang, the area where the blade attaches to the handle. The inscription is a branding upon Souza’s chest, something he cannot get rid of nor ignore, hence the lyrics “an indelible mark is etched into my heart / thousands of dreams scatter and die / longing for freedom.”
We can obviously see that Souza’s turbulent past haunts him even in his dreams; “every time I close my eyes, memories replay / where I am captivated by flames.” During the Honnoji Incident where Oda Nobunaga died, the Souza Samonji blade was seized by Toyotomi Hideyoshi amidst the flames. Then Souza was surrounded by flames again and burned during the Great Meireki Fire in 1657.
He is simply not a happy camper, but with Kousetsu, it’s as if happiness does come back to him.
Kousetsu Samonji was a sword owned by pacifist and Shingon Buddhist, Itabeoka Kousetsusai. Dressed as a Buddhist priest and holding a rosary, also known as a mala/japamala, he prays for peace and doesn’t condone violence. Other than the second stanza of the first verse being very obviously Kotetsu speaking, the rest of his lines seem more like consolation towards Souza’s struggles. He wants to help Souza and will do anything to do so, along with accepting the consequences of being a sword standing for peace. This is seen in the lines “If fighting can protect them / then I can stand the burden of guilt.”
“You extend a hand as a plea for help / Hold me closer and don’t let go / let’s go everywhere / so that the answer we believe in / will someday be found.” I want to point these lyrics out because yeah, it’s still Kousetsu’s lines, but I see the fact that in addition to helping Souza, Kousetsu tries to help himself. Souza’s question is if he’ll ever break free from his past, while Kousetsu’s question is if these days of desolation will end. Together, they can figure out the answers to their questions.
The bolded lyrics are what I’ll talk about next. These are the shared lines (I think) and they’re more representative of both their perspectives of each other and their situations. “We are drawn to each other because we are opposites / and we repeat the cycle of reincarnation,” is a hint at their symbiotic relationship. Reincarnated as humans from swords, they still found each other through not only sharing the same swordsmith, but the stark contrast of their personalities.
“Without knowing the meaning behind what I carried on my shoulders / that’s how I lived,” is a pair of lines that I broke up because I tried to stay consistent with the Japanese. In reality it should read “I’ve lived without knowing the meaning behind what I carried on my shoulders.” Other than that clarification, I wanted to say that both swords were probably so engrossed in their personal problems that they were blind to why; Why they carried it, why they were presented with these burdens.
“Ah, the changing seasons are so beautiful / yet the changing times come at a cost.” The more time both Kousetsu and Souza waste between their pain and healing, the longer it will take them to get over said pain and enter into said healing. But it’s better late than never.
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