“My heart is a kaleidoscope, ruthlessly changing”

The youkai this time is a Youko (妖狐, ‘Fox Spirit’). In the English-speaking world, this would be what we call the ‘Kitsune’ (Japanese for ‘fox’). They are probably one of the most popular of folklore creatures outside of Japan, but in summary they are powerful magical beings, sly, cheeky, wise and faithful; depending on the story, they may be tricksters or helpers.

The Youko of this song wanders around the human world (having assimilated himself into it) in search of a wife: a girl he had met when he was younger. Described to be an extremely sarcastic and moody person who’s possessive of his prey. This is also the reappearance of the Youko that appeared in Absolute Castaway’s 1st album, ‘Doukai Kitan’.

Composition: Aota Niina
Arrangement: Aota Niina
Lyrics: Nakae Mitsuki
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Kitsune no Yomeiri” Translation (Track 6) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”

“Shall I take away your nightmares?
Shall I take away the tears on your pillow?
Shall I eat up your nightmares?
How about I eat them all up?”

This song was composed and written by members of another doujin circle, Mamyukka, which is a group known for their fantasy songs, much like Absolute Castaway… except that the latter tends to be more oriental.

The youkai this time around is the Baku (獏, ‘Tapir’), usually depicted with black and white stripes all over its body, and in folklore is a creature that eats up dreams. They were born from the pieces leftover when the gods created the world, and are often called upon to eat up the nightmares of children so that they may sleep peacefully. A tapir usually moves depending on its hunger, and the trouble with it is if it is still hungry even after eating up a child’s nightmare, it would eat up the child’s goods dreams and hopes as well until it has its fill.

The Baku in this song is pretty much like the usual ones from the legend, and on nights when he’s hungry but unable to find nightmares to eat, he would guide ill will to the human’s pillow-side to make them have bad dreams. He usually forgets what he did at night or what dreams he had eaten when morning comes, so he has the tendency to do whatever he likes. His hunger abates when he does troublesome things too.

Composition: Okka
Arrangement: Okka
Lyrics: Miu
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Baku, Iwaku” Translation (Track 5) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”

“Just why do I feel so lonely?
I don’t even know the reason why”

I do not understand why Kisaragi Akihiro is not popular yet. My favourite track in every Absolute Castaway album almost always turns out to be written by him, and this one is one of his best. He’s a genius with oriental music, and even when it’s rock or pop he doesn’t fail either!

The spirit featured in this track is the Kawahime (川姫, literally ‘River Princess’), a youkai that appears as a beautiful woman on rivers or by water bodies, and attract young men who would have their lives taken by her.

The Kawahime of this song lives in a river where fringed water lilies grow. She used to be a human and in a long time ago had a lover who passed away, but she retained her feelings even when she became a youkai. Even now, it is said that she continues to wait for her beloved…

Also, it seems that the Kawahime is the granddaughter of Hotaru, the woman who fell in love with a demon in ‘Kiccha Riddle’, Absolute Castaway’s 5th album.

Composition: Kisaragi Akihiro
Arrangement: Kisaragi Akihiro
Lyrics: Nakae Mitsuki
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Matsuyoi Hime” Translation (Track 4) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”

“In the dark room were two beasts
Whooo’s that kitten with that thin singlet?”

The youkai here this time is the Oni (鬼, ‘Ogre’ or ‘Demon’, though I’ve been more inclined to use the latter), which is perhaps one of the more well-known Japanese folklore creatures outside of Japan. They are usually humanoid but very hideous, and are often drawn with red skin, two horns, wearing tiger-prints and holding an iron club. The Oni usually has a negative connotation to its name, though in some places they have also started to become protective symbols.

The Oni in this track is a female, and when she was human she and her lover had promised to be together forever. She believed that they loved each other mutually, but one day happened to see him with another woman in bed. Driven mad by disappointment, despair and hatred, she turned into an Oni.

She happens to be the same female Oni from another Absolute Castaway album, ‘Kiccha Riddle’, the second track ‘Chigiri Oni’ (Demon Vows), where she would make promises with humans and should any one of them fail to fulfill the promise, she would turn them into Onis as well.

Composition: Hisui
Arrangement: Hisui
Lyrics: Mitsuki Iori
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Hoozuki Ochite.” Translation (Track 3) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”

“Even reason and anything else…
If only they can be torn to shreds”

This track features an Inugami (犬神, literally ‘Dog God’… Got to love that semordnilap), which is traditionally a kind of Shikigami created to serve its owner, but is capable of going against them if they want to.

The Inugami in this song was a deity worshiped for generations in a household, but then grew interested in a shrine maiden who also fell in love with him. Their relationship caused the household to fall to ruin however, and guilty as the cause, the shrine maiden dies. The Inugami then moved into a deep grove, unable to clear his heart of his regrets and his love for the shrine maiden, and thus continues to scream of his laments…

Composition: Meis Clauson
Arrangement: Meis Clauson
Lyrics: Nakae Mitsuki
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Doukoku no Mori” Translation (Track 2) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”

“Whether it’s a lie or a truth is unimportant”

Another old classic from Absolute Castaway, this is the album that features a variety of youkai characters in each song. I did short write-ups of them in my old Tumblr posts, so I’ll just copy and paste them for all the posts of this album.

This track features a Bakeneko (化け猫, ‘Changed Cat’, or sometimes ‘Monster Cat’), which is the red girl you see on the album cover above. A Bakeneko, in folklore, is usually a normal cat that became a youkai in its old age. They have a range of powers, including taking human form and speaking human words.

The cat girl here is the true form of the black cat from an earlier single, Kosho Nostalgie Dou (its English title is supposed to be ‘Antiquaria Nostalgia’, though more literally it’s something like ‘Old Books Nostalgia Store’). That also explains why the man taking care of that store features on the booklet and in the PV as well. She is described to be a willfully whimsical person.

She is in truth the real owner of the shop, who set it up in a place close to the human world. It is believed that she had done that due to an interest in humanity, though no one can tell if she really is interested in them. She usually takes on the form of a black cat while someone else, at least in appearance, mans the store. Her right eye is gold, while her left eye is silver.

Composition: Tsukagoshi Yuuichiro (NanosizeMir)
Arrangement: Meis Clauson
Lyrics: Nakae Mitsuki
Vocals: Nakae Mitsuki

Continue reading “Douyou Kitan: “Kuro Neko Ron” Translation (Track 1) – ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY”