OK, but MAISONdes' music for the UY remake are absolute bangers... like I swear, they'd better make the music for the next two cours as well or else I'll riot.
Urusei Yatsura 2022 OP "A-i-u-e" english translation and extensive translation/reference notes
I posted the tv size lyrics translated before, but I've made some revisions based on my renewed understanding of the entire song.
There are a lot of translation notes at the bottom of this one. The second half of the song has a lot of series-related jokes/double meanings that are just not able to be translated for reasons that will become apparent very quickly. I tried to prioritize understandability in my english translation, but some sections will sound a bit bizarre due to this onslaught of puns and wordplays.
I also feel silly that I didn’t realize until looking at the full version of the lyrics that the title “aiue” isn’t simply the Japanese vowels (usually a-i-e-o-u) or sounds that are being sung nonsensically, but 愛飢え means “love-starved”. Initially I thought maybe it was 愛上 (literally ‘top love’ or maybe ‘love is best/most important’), but that seemed a little nonsense to me last time, so I didn’t make note of it.
Lyrics and notes after the cut.
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(A, a, ooeo, a, e, a, e, oo)
(a, a, ooeo, a, e, a, e, oo)
Hey, um, I feel like you’re not all that interested in me?
Ah, I see, then that’s fine
Forget about it—no, actually, don’t
Ah, geez, even though I support you so much (1)
You never notice me and it’s so frustrating!
(Chorus)
Don’t say, “Huh? What?”
“I wasn’t listening” “Who cares”
I want you to understand every little thing about me
“I refuse”? Even if you say that
I won’t be hearing it!
“A mysterious phenomenon” “Beyond comprehension” (2)
“What’s do you see in him?” people say to me all the time, but
None of that matters
All you need to know is I’m overflowing with love, so never let me go! (3)
(A, a, aiue, a, e, a, e, oo)
Agh! It’s no fun if it makes too much sense (4)
This tireless romance discourse of ours (5)
Now, what’ll be your next move, my darling? Hmmm?
(Ah, ah, love-starved)
Ah, geez, I know (6)
That you can’t help being starved for my love
But I can’t stand to walk on eggshells around you (7)
My heart comes and goes
It’s exhausting when you cry all the time
No matter how long you wait for me, I don’t know how to answer you
Today, I’ll run from you yet again
That was close
You know you’re my fated one
So please forgive me, I just can’t take this anymore!
I mean, well,
I told you I can’t decide, I can’t choose just one
I want to love whoever I want, as much as I want (8)
Even if you tell me that I’m just the worst,
I’m well aware of that already
In a love song, (9)
Jokes need further discussion (10)
“What do you not like about me?” you ask me all the time, but, well
It’s got nothing to do with me
Even if love beats me down, I’ll just stand up again (11)
Unbelievable! Do you understand? (12)
People are saying all kinds of things about us
Do you know the taste of love? Is it like cherries? (13)
No, not at all (14)
Girls are plenty trouble enough as is (15)
In a flurry of cherry blossoms in bloom, or a furious snowstorm (16)
Even if they make their minds spotless (17)
And exorcise themselves of bad luck, (18)
These two are still nothing but trouble! (19)
Filled with half-belief and half-doubt (20)
Isn’t a heart in love a disastrous thing?
Teach me more
Of this ceaseless love-starvation
Even if you’re single-minded or unfair about it
Huh?
You weren’t listening? You don’t care?
Don’t you want to know every little thing about me?
“No, I don’t”? Even if you say that
I don’t know what you mean!
“A mysterious phenomenon” “Beyond comprehension”
You’re so hopeless, I have no choice but to rain divine punishment upon you!
It’s fine by me if you’re just a bit undisciplined
I’m overflowing with love, so don’t let me go
Enough of running, enough of retribution, give it a rest already!
(A, a, ooeo, a, e, a, e, oo)
You don’t get it, what’s up with that?
Then let me explain it nice and clear
(A, a, ooeo, a, e, a, e, oo)
For now, just look at me and only me, ‘kay!
(a, a, ooeo, a, e, a, e, oo)
I won’t forgive you if your heart strays (21)
Even if just for a moment, just for a second
I want to make you fall for me (22)
So stay by my side
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Translation notes:
(1) The opening sequence of Urusei Yatsura’s reboot is set in modern times, despite the show itself still being in the showa era. The word “oshi” is used here, which is a very modern slang word used a little bit similarly to “stan” or “bias” in fandom spaces. Your “oshi” is the character/person/musician/etc you love the most, and the act of oshi is engaging in whatever given act of showing your love and support for them. So in the lyrics, she is essentially, “Even though I stan you, you never notice” (LOL). This modern slang usage seems to be an intentional prod at the modern setting of the opening sequence, because this word was not used at all back when Urusei Yatsura was first conceptualized.
(2) These aren’t necessarily puns, but I think they’re more so meant to be wordplays that have a similar sound/cadence. “Fukakai genshou, ijou joushou”; it’s phonetically playful, but again, not really a pun. Translated, it sounds a little nonsensical, but there’s not much to be done about that without outright changing the meaning. There’s a few other lines like this.
(3) Some more slight wordplay; “ai de afurete afurete, aa, furete, tomaranai dake” is literally “Overflowing, overflowing with love, ahh, touch me, just don’t stop”. Afurete = overflowing, aa furete = ahh touch me.
(4) “Do-seiron” is slang usually meaning that an argument is so sound, there’s no use fighting against it. The kanji for “sei” is usually 正 but it’s replaced with 星 here, meaning star/planet because the same pun is used in Urusei Yatsura. Urusei means noisy or annoying. Replacing the “sei” with the kanji for star/planet alludes to the extraterrestrial elements present in the series.
(5) I’m not sure if there’s a double meaning here that I’m missing, but I also think this turn of words is just meant to be harmonious with the previous line’s “do-seiron” phrasing. “Do-seiron, ren’ai-ron.”
(6) From here, the perspective shifts from Lum to Ataru.
(7) This is the beginning of a string of references to the names of characters in the series, and I might miss some. Shinobinai = can’t bring myself to do. Reference to the character Shinobu.
(8) “I want to love” is written with the kanji for “like” but sung out loud as “love”, perhaps meant to be a play on Ataru’s desire for casual love, and Lum’s desire for genuine romance.
(9) “Love song” written out in english (rabu songu) here is almost certainly a reference to the very first Urusei Yatsura theme song, titled “Lum’s Love Song” (Ramu no rabu songu).
(10) “Jokes need further discussion”: I’m not sure if there’s a reference here I’m missing, but it seems like another turn of phrase that’s emphasizing the similar phonetics. “Joudan, yousoudan”.
(11) “Atatte”, or to be hit by, referring to Ataru. “Kurattemo”, or to be on the receiving end of a blow, might be referring to Kurama (might not be though since she isn’t considered one of the main characters).
(12) “Unbelievable!” = kisoutengai, literally “fantastical beyond the heavens”, might be referring to Benten as she also has the kanji for heaven in her name…
(13) “Do you know the taste of love? Is it like cherries?” Written out as “ai know aji? cherry aji?”, with ai being a pun on love and the english word “I”. Cherry written in english is a reference to the character Cherry. Kisses being the taste of cherries also seems to be a bit of a trope in Japanese romance.
(14) Tende means utterly, absolutely, or not at all. The “ten” in it is written in katakana, referring to Ten-chan.
(15) “Girls are plenty trouble enough as is” — I took some liberty with this line. You can read it a few different ways. “Mendou” means trouble or troublesome, and is referring to the character Mendou.
(16) The cherry blossoms refer to Nurse Sakura (and possibly Ran due to “ranman”?), the snowstorm refers to Oyuki.
(17) …Or maybe the heaven kanji in this line is the one meant to be referring to Benten? “Reisei”, or calmness/composure, refers to Rei.
(18) Referring to Cherry’s constant attempts at purging Ataru of his bad luck.
(19) The word “yatsura” comes up in this line. Also, “yatsura” is ambiguously plural and can refer to any number of people, but in this case, I took it to be about the couple (Lum and Ataru) having a conflict in this song, so for the sake of flow, I wrote “these two”.
(20) “Half-belief”, written as “han-shin”, might be a reference to the Hanshin Tigers, a baseball team with whom Urusei Yatsura has collaborated with many times due both to the fact that they have a tiger stripe motif, and they’re Rumiko’s favorite baseball team.
(21) Kyorokyoro (glancing around) is a word used in the original Urusei Yatsura theme song, Lum’s Love Song (“anata wa itsudemo kyorokyoro” = “you’re always glancing around [looking away from me]”).
(22) Sowasowa (fidgeting nervously) is also used in the original theme (“anmari sowasowa shinaide” = “don’t fidget so much”).
One more note: I was on the lookout for a line referencing Ryuunosuke since she’s usually considered a core part of the main cast, but I didn’t see anything that seemed to directly point to her name. If I missed it and you figure it out, please let me know. Some of my pulls for which names are being referred to might be off, but the point hopefully comes across that the second verse of this song is meant to be a playful tribute to the cast of characters.
Já se aproxima a data do espectáculo do Ano! Némanus no Coliseu de Lisboa! Garante o teu lugar numa noite que promete ser mágica, divertida e com muita música e dança! Aiué! #nemanus #nemanusontour #2015 #coliseu #lisboa #aiue @nemanusoficial @wesleynemanussantos @silvia_nemanus_monteiro (at Coliseu dos Recreios - Lisboa)
