As I'm writing it in January 2016, year of the monkey (saru), I wish you an happy new year... and I apologize for not having posted more J-Music standards articles during these first months of existence. I should have more time this year, and as a good resolution, here is this one, I wish I had released sooner...
Last 6th of May 2015, we celebrated the 50 years old of Miwa, singer of band Dreams Come True whose we celebrated too the 25 years of career between 2014 and 2015, and thus I'm going to introduce to you one of their numerous standards, precisely their very 1st hit, Mirai Yosouzu 2 (未来予想図 II). However nothing was predestining this title to such a notoriety, apart from this puzzling "2", as no other identical title had been released before !
Back to the Future
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Story
Music Videos
Lyrics and romaji
Personal Translation
Anecdotes, legacy
Main performers
Links
Placed in last track on the album Love goes on... (11/1989), this tune is even not deemed to stand as a single. However it is finally released as a B face in February 1990 but cut because said too long by Sony (over 7 min, including yet 2 min of vocalisation and instumental development at the end), in order to complete Egao no Yukue (笑顔の行方), and... it's a hit ! The fact is that this last song is a tie-up of the drama "Sotsugyo" (卒業). However if, thanks to that association, it's their 1st single in +ORICON STYLE Top 10, it is particularly Mirai Yosouzu 2 which retains attention, restarting even the sales of Love goes on... album !
Mirai Yosôzu 2 is indeed a very nice ballad, even a very romantic slow, where the singer expresses her happiness in the success of her "plan for the future" as a couple. With an easy-to-sing melody, a very indentifiable piano pattern, it is quickly adopted in karaoke by Japanese couples, young or not, as well as in marriage parties.
The mystery surrounding this "2" may also be a key to that popularity. It is in fact the 2nd part of 未来予想図 which was released... 2 years later in the Million Kisses album in November 1991 !! The whole comes from a text written by Miwa during highschool, a ten years earlier, and that Masato then arranged, keeping probably the most interesting part for the 1st tune, but indicating this cut with the "2".
Probably thanks to rising success, the band finally released the 1st part later and, since then, both tracks are generally tied together, for instance in the Best of The Soul and Watashi no Dorikamu ("version 2007"). This "version 2007" was released as a B face of the single A-i-Shi-Te-Ru no sign (ア・イ・シ・テ・ルのサイン〜わたしたちの未来予想図〜) which reached the 2nd rank of the weekly Oricon, and which is itself a tie-up of the movie... Mirai Yosôzu - A.I.SHI.TE.RU no Sign (未来予想図〜ア・イ・シ・テ・ルのサイン〜) inspired by the two 1st singles !! The difference lies mainly in the orchestration. On this occasion, a live Music Video is realised, but of course without the 3rd member, Takahiro, who had left the band in 2002.
Certainly, no matter the number of years passing by, this feeling can go through intact,
doesn't it. Because with you,
my plan for the future, which is always drawn in my heart,
hey, it has been granted the way I dreamed it.
Sometimes we open together an album,
we look at our funny pictures laughing.
I wonder how long we can still live together
this natural way.
Together we used to choke our helmets 5 times : that code...***
The sign changed, but still today, with the same feeling,
we gently love each other.
Dreams Come True : Authors and 1st performers. You can listen to a sample through these links. Introduction of the band here.
Acid Black Cherry : Singer Yasu from the band Janne da Arc (ジャンヌダルク) covers the song in his solo project, in 2013, in the cover album Recreation 3. Apart from the instrumentation, more rock, it's quite close to the original. See in the MV section above.
Ikimonogakari (いきものがかり, see their page here) : the pop-rock trio (down in the centre) covered it for the 1st Best of Covers, Watashi to Dorikamu, for the 25 years old of DCT in 2014. It appears then as a B face of the single Golden girl in 2015. A very close version.
Miura Daichi (三浦大知) : RnB artist (in red on the right) covered it for the 2nd Best of Covers still for the 25th anniversary of the band, Watashi to Dorikamu 2, but in 2015. A very close version too.
Story
Music Videos
Lyrics and romaji
Personal Translation
Anecdotes, legacy
Main performers
Links
Story
Mirai Yosôzu 2 is indeed a very nice ballad, even a very romantic slow, where the singer expresses her happiness in the success of her "plan for the future" as a couple. With an easy-to-sing melody, a very indentifiable piano pattern, it is quickly adopted in karaoke by Japanese couples, young or not, as well as in marriage parties. The mystery surrounding this "2" may also be a key to that popularity. It is in fact the 2nd part of 未来予想図 which was released... 2 years later in the Million Kisses album in November 1991 !! The whole comes from a text written by Miwa during highschool, a ten years earlier, and that Masato then arranged, keeping probably the most interesting part for the 1st tune, but indicating this cut with the "2".
Probably thanks to rising success, the band finally released the 1st part later and, since then, both tracks are generally tied together, for instance in the Best of The Soul and Watashi no Dorikamu ("version 2007"). This "version 2007" was released as a B face of the single A-i-Shi-Te-Ru no sign (ア・イ・シ・テ・ルのサイン〜わたしたちの未来予想図〜) which reached the 2nd rank of the weekly Oricon, and which is itself a tie-up of the movie... Mirai Yosôzu - A.I.SHI.TE.RU no Sign (未来予想図〜ア・イ・シ・テ・ルのサイン〜) inspired by the two 1st singles !! The difference lies mainly in the orchestration. On this occasion, a live Music Video is realised, but of course without the 3rd member, Takahiro, who had left the band in 2002.
Music Videos
Official Promo Video of the cover by Acid Black Cherry:
Lyrics and romaji
卒業してから もう3度目の春
Sotsugyou shite kara mou san dome no haru
あいかわらず そばにある 同じ笑顔
aikawarazu soba ni aru onaji egao
あの頃バイクで 飛ばした家までの道
anogoro BIKE de tobashita ie made no michi
今はルーフからの星を 見ながら走ってる
ima wa ROOF kara no hoshi o minagara hashitteru
私を降ろした後 角をまがるまで 見送ると
Watashi wo oroshita ato kado wo magaru made miokuru to
いつもブレーキランプ５回点滅
itsumo BREAK LAMP go kai tenmetsu
ア・イ・シ・テ・ル のサイン
a-i-shi-te-ru no SIGN
きっと何年たっても こうしてかわらぬ気持ちで
Kitto nan nen tatte mo koushite kawaranu kimochi de
過ごしてゆけるのね あなたとだから
sugoshite yukeru no ne anata to dakara
ずっと心に描く 未来予想図は
zutto kokoro ni egaku mirai yosouzu wa
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku
時々2人で 開いてみるアルバム
Tokidoki futari de hiraite miru ALBUM
まだやんちゃな 写真達に笑いながら
mada yanchana shashin-tachi ni warainagara
どれくらい同じ時間 2人でいたかしら
dorekurai onaji jikan futari de itakashira
こんなふうにさりげなく 過ぎてく毎日も
konnafuuni sarigenaku sugiteku mainichi mo
2人でバイクのメット5回ぶつけてたあの合図
Futari de BIKE no METTO* go kai butsuketeta ano aizu
サイン変わった今も 同じ気持ちで
SIGN kawatta ima mo onaji kimochi de
素直に 愛してる
sunao ni aishiteru
きっと何年たっても こうしてかわらぬ思いを
Kitto nan nen tatte mo koushite kawaranu omoi o
持っていられるのも あなたとだから
motteirareru no mo anata to dakara
ずっと心に描く 未来予想図は
zutto kokoro ni egaku mirai yosouzu wa
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく...
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku...
(Woho...)
Sotsugyou shite kara mou san dome no haru
あいかわらず そばにある 同じ笑顔
aikawarazu soba ni aru onaji egao
あの頃バイクで 飛ばした家までの道
anogoro BIKE de tobashita ie made no michi
今はルーフからの星を 見ながら走ってる
ima wa ROOF kara no hoshi o minagara hashitteru
私を降ろした後 角をまがるまで 見送ると
Watashi wo oroshita ato kado wo magaru made miokuru to
いつもブレーキランプ５回点滅
itsumo BREAK LAMP go kai tenmetsu
ア・イ・シ・テ・ル のサイン
a-i-shi-te-ru no SIGN
きっと何年たっても こうしてかわらぬ気持ちで
Kitto nan nen tatte mo koushite kawaranu kimochi de
過ごしてゆけるのね あなたとだから
sugoshite yukeru no ne anata to dakara
ずっと心に描く 未来予想図は
zutto kokoro ni egaku mirai yosouzu wa
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku
時々2人で 開いてみるアルバム
Tokidoki futari de hiraite miru ALBUM
まだやんちゃな 写真達に笑いながら
mada yanchana shashin-tachi ni warainagara
どれくらい同じ時間 2人でいたかしら
dorekurai onaji jikan futari de itakashira
こんなふうにさりげなく 過ぎてく毎日も
konnafuuni sarigenaku sugiteku mainichi mo
2人でバイクのメット5回ぶつけてたあの合図
Futari de BIKE no METTO* go kai butsuketeta ano aizu
サイン変わった今も 同じ気持ちで
SIGN kawatta ima mo onaji kimochi de
素直に 愛してる
sunao ni aishiteru
きっと何年たっても こうしてかわらぬ思いを
Kitto nan nen tatte mo koushite kawaranu omoi o
持っていられるのも あなたとだから
motteirareru no mo anata to dakara
ずっと心に描く 未来予想図は
zutto kokoro ni egaku mirai yosouzu wa
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku
ほら 思ったとうりに かなえられてく...
hora omotta touri ni kanaerareteku...
(Woho...)
Personal Translation
This is the 3rd spring since graduation,
and still the same smiling face by my side.
In that time, you were flying me on your bike on way home.
Nowadays we drive looking at the stars through the roof window.
After having step down, when I look at you going away up to the street corner,
you always light your brakes 5 times :
the sign for L-O-V-E-R**
and still the same smiling face by my side.
In that time, you were flying me on your bike on way home.
Nowadays we drive looking at the stars through the roof window.
After having step down, when I look at you going away up to the street corner,
you always light your brakes 5 times :
the sign for L-O-V-E-R**
Certainly, no matter the number of years passing by, this feeling can go through intact,
doesn't it. Because with you,
my plan for the future, which is always drawn in my heart,
hey, it has been granted the way I dreamed it.
Sometimes we open together an album,
we look at our funny pictures laughing.
I wonder how long we can still live together
this natural way.
Together we used to choke our helmets 5 times : that code...***
The sign changed, but still today, with the same feeling,
we gently love each other.
Certainly, no matter the number of years passing by, I'll keep too this feeling unchanged. Because with you,
my plan for the future, which is always drawn in my heart,
hey, it has been granted the way I dreamed it.
my plan for the future, which is always drawn in my heart,
hey, it has been granted the way I dreamed it.
Hey, it has been granted the way I dreamed it...
(Woho...)
Interpretation notes:
とうりに : written that way in the booklet of The Soul, yet I learned it written this way: とおりに (toori ni)...
直 : the display of this kanji seems to depend on the library downloaded on your device. In general, there is a vertical line on the left which forms a right angle with the bottom line.
* : Metto is a deformation of the English Helmet.
** : I chose a 5-letter word in reference to the "sign" with a meaning as close as possible to the original meaning, "I love you".
*** : this excerpt is told in detail in Mirai Yosôzu "1".
Anecdotes, Legacy
In January 2016, the Music Station broadcast, for its 30 years old, made a poll on 3000 peoples to nominate the best love songs. On the female vocal side, it's another title of DCT, Love Love Love who arrived... 1st, but Mirai Yosouzu II was the band's 2nd best love song !!
Main performers
Affiliate links to CDJapan with audio samples. Please authorize cookies if you enjoyed the article m(_ _)m.
02/2000: Best of 10 years of career (fans selection); includes most of the cited titles, Egao no Yukue, Love Love Love, Winter song...
11/1989: 2nd album ; includes Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!, Mirai Yosôzu 2...
Ikimonogakari (いきものがかり, see their page here) : the pop-rock trio (down in the centre) covered it for the 1st Best of Covers, Watashi to Dorikamu, for the 25 years old of DCT in 2014. It appears then as a B face of the single Golden girl in 2015. A very close version.
Miura Daichi (三浦大知) : RnB artist (in red on the right) covered it for the 2nd Best of Covers still for the 25th anniversary of the band, Watashi to Dorikamu 2, but in 2015. A very close version too.
Kim Jae-Joong : the former member of the K-Pop band Tohoshinki (aka TVXQ) and member of JYJ by Avex Japan included it in his cover album of J-Pop songs in 2019, which earned a prize in the Japan Record Awards.
It was also performed by the boys band Solidemo, singer AI, or Chris Hart too, Afro-American singer in Japanese...
Sources : Best of The Soul booklet, Wikipedia, Amazon (movie visual), Music Station.
Links
Sources : Best of The Soul booklet, Wikipedia, Amazon (movie visual), Music Station.
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