[tenshi no hane]

I was bored and Ayu hasn't released any new interviews so I decided to translate Kuu's Vivi interview ^-^

(I'm still learning Japanese, so it might not be 100% flawless.)

Vivi 2009

“For the song of the movie "Kamui Gaiden", it was the first time for me to write lyrics with ‘an hopeless loneliness’.”

For「Alive」I got the order from the director to write lyrics to accompany a sound originally from an opera piece. When I first listened to that new melody, I couldn’t imagine my husky voice in such a beautiful song. I doubted whether I could do it. But, in order to discover a new me, I thought it was important for me to fight that feeling. So I answered that I would do it, but felt very nervous about it.

In the movie “Kamui Gaiden”, the protagonist Kamui is considered to be a traitor when he leaves his shinobi clan in search for freedom. It becomes his fate to fight against the pursuing shinobi. Because he is continuously chased, he brings troubles to everyone who gets close to him. Therefore, he chooses a way of life where he doesn’t come into contact with anyone else. I thought that was a truly lonely story. Personally, when my heart gets broken, I may feel like I want to die, but the next day I’ll want to live a long life again. I’m the type who only drinks healthy drinks (laugh). To create such world view where there is only loneliness without hope, was the most difficult for me. Until now, I’ve only written lots of songs where in midst of the sadness there are still positive feelings present.

After I had first read the script, I started to write the lyrics for it. From the movie’s point of view I felt there was still a brightness left in that world. After understanding and appreciating the movie, I wanted to write the lyrics. While receiving and giving feedback I worked everything out. I also sang and recorded the song while watching the movie at the same time. It was quite difficult but, when「Alive」was finished and I heard it playing during one of the scenes, it fitted very well with the movie and…I was really happy, I was really moved ♥

This song which Koda Kumi couldn’t even imagine up till now, please check it out!

“Edgy, effective dance-tunes are my origin; I want to portray a steady and sexy woman.”

When I read fan letters, there a lot of people who tell me that they like my ballads and cute songs. But when I sing my cool, sexy songs live everyone gets exited. When I sang Ecstasy, a song from my previous single, I thought things like “…somehow, this feels like Koda Kumi ♥”. 「Physicial Thing」has nuanced meanings like ‘feel it with your body’ and ‘follow your instincts’. That’s why, the PV is set in a club with me dancing intensely, pouring expensive alcohol on myself etc…it creates a sexy adult feeling ♥

It’s the opposite extreme compared to the classical 「Alive」. But actually, these two songs are connected via their mutual theme of loneliness. No matter how many times you embrace, no matter how many times you pretend to be strong; when you’re together you can still feel total loneliness. I’m singing about that female weakness and loneliness. And, when people who feel such a loneliness realize: “I’m lonely”, in a sense, that is a positive thing isn’t it? I wish to convey such a message.

10 years; there was no time to look back over my shoulder (laugh). The journey from my debut to now…wasn’t smooth. But, the strength from everyone around me was large. Even while wearing high heels, I could walk on that bumpy road, without stumbling, because of everyone who supported me. When I enter my tenth year, I want to release a BEST album and a book similar to the previously released Koda Shiki. And I want to try to write down several of my real opinions, which have changed since I’ve been nearing the thirty (laugh).


*translated by tenshi no hane @AHS

I like how she created a mutual theme for to completely different songs. And it seems she doesn't mind the sexy image ;D

(feel free to post elsewhere, just credit me)