26 comments on “The Music of the Beethoven of Osaka

  1. I really appreciate you translating this much. But it’s a bit much at once. Why not release it as different articles? There’s too much I feel like giving a reaction to.

    Tanpopo is really under appreciated. My favorite songs of theirs aren’t even on Youtube. But it seems the quality of music isn’t that important in Japan for something to be popular. Last Kiss would have been such a big hit in Europe, if something was released like that at the time.

    • Yeah, you’re right in that there might be too much. It’s a bit messy. But I’ll be honest: this could very well be the last translation I’ll post on the site so I wanted to go out with a “bang” if that makes sense — at 9000+ words it’s certainly the biggest post on the site to date. So everyone ought to just read the bits they care about and not worry about commenting. It’s all good.

      In any case, I do hope everyone finds something worthwhile in it. Merry Christmas!

      • Weren’t you going to translate gakikame radio show or wad that canceled. I hope you still translate occasionally. Anyways I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

        • Yes, the FIVE STARS radio show and Tsunku book translations are both promises I intend to keep, but those are different sites.

          • Henkka, we all implore you: don’t quit your hobby. If time is the problem, then quit your daily job instead.

          • GakiKame were a great comedy duo. I think a promo video they did for one of Niigaki Risa’s photobooks was one of the funniest things anyone has ever done.

  2. 16: 名無し募集中。。。 2013/03/24(日) 05:27:31.10 0
    I think it’s pretty great seeing how they do their best in translating those lyrics, but I sometimes have to wonder if they’re successfully able to convey the meaning of some lyrics that even we have trouble understanding?

    he’s totally underestimating us… how many have started learning japanese because of japanese lyrics? ^^ my japanese isn’t perfect but it’s decent enough to get the meaning of most songs… and translations most of the time transport the meaning instead of the literal text… but sometimes it’s just not necessary to fully understand it because the emotion is much more important… the “aisaretai” part in wagamama ki no mama for example… even if you don’t understand it, it’s so powerful that you can almost feel the meaning…

    Tsunku is just brilliant… and gross! :D

  3. Thank you so much for this. I almost cried several times as I read through this over the course of an afternoon. It means a lot to me to see the words of many others who love and miss the same things about Hello Project I fell in love with, and who respect and love Tsunku.

    I appreciate all of your hard work. Please keep us posted about any new projects so we can come cheer you on there as well. Merry Christmas!

  4. All those Tsunku threads, thanks a lot!

    And deep thanks to Tsunku for all the songs.

    > 24: 名無しさん@おーぷん 2014/05/07(水)02:07:49 ID:???
    > “Hesontoko yoroshiku.“
    I still wonder why all those bits were left untranslated in the PV subs. There’s nothing wrong with belly buttons.

    > 18: 名無し募集中。。。 2013/03/23(土) 18:34:39.63 0
    > The girls always leave us. In the end, it’s always just us and the Boy who are left behind.
    ;_;

    > 212: 名無し募集中。。。 2014/01/27(月) 22:52:50.09 0
    > Tsunku♂’s songs have really interesting bass lines.
    Sometimes I find myself listening and just picking those out, appreciating them.

  5. As long as this post was, I was teary-eyed the whole time. Not from eye fatigue (lol), but because its so nostalgic. Platinum era, Tsunku, and pretty soon this website (or at least the updates) are or will be distant memories. Wonderful memories, nonetheless. But such is life. With happiness comes sadness, they come hand in hand. Merry Christmas, Henkka. Thanks for the memories.

  6. 82: 名無し募集中。。。 2015/08/31(月) 21:32:34.76 0.net
    Nanchatte Renai, Ookii Hitomi, Namidacchi.

    Well yeah, every song of the platinum era is pretty damn good but those 3 are by far the best and in that order of 3rd to 1st best… Namidacchi was something special, especially when you see it in action at a concert, there is no better concert finisher than that song..

    Honarable mention goes to 321 Breakin Out, Ame Fura, and Onno Sachi

  7. As for Tsunku i’ve always recognized him as being something special.. All of his songs just have a different quality to them than other idol groups… But if you ask me what his masterpiece is i’m gonna have to say Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe… That song was truly beyond time and space… The music was so complex yet pretty, the costumes were gorgeous and the choreo was elegant yet fitting… Everything about it was world class and the timing of the song with his battle with cancer made it seem like this was his last will and testament and he was trying to go out with a bang… The lyrics had an eerie feel to it as he was talking about himself meeting everyone else in another time and space because his life right now may possibly be ending..

  8. I read this soon after it was posted but it’s taken awhile to sort through how I feel to make a post.

    This kind of hit me as a very melancholy read. Next month will mark my sixth anniversary of discovering H!P. All the comments praising the Platinum Nine reminded me what it was like back when the whole thing was a new experience and I found myself swept away by a strange new world. Those girls all left and now Riho’s almost gone, she’ll be the first Musume I’ve seen join and leave. An odd feeling to be sure.

    Then the Tsunku threads, knowing that my own interest in HP’s music has diminished since he left. Unlike Henkka, I never considered myself a Tsunku wota so this was a bit of a surprise.

    Last of course this being the end of Henkka’s translations capped the whole thing off. Heh maybe I should have delayed posting even longer since this is still a downer of a post.

    Before I get more maudlin, which wasn’t my intent, I will just say Thank You Henkka. Thank You for all you have shared with the international fan community over the years. It has made following these lovely girls less of a stumble in the dark and brought more of the joy of idol’s to us all.

  9. In case anyone was wondering, the answer to the question about the three Platinum Era songs; the third song is Nanchatte Renai. That song has been scientifically proven to have more platinum in it than any other song.

    Seriously though, I know that us Americans are usually the only ones that constantly bitch about line distribution, but the the line distribution was so cool on that song. Specially when you watch the pv. It even made Koharu sound cool.

  10. For me, Platinum was the best MM era ever. I miss the girls soooo much.

    As for Tsunku, he is the irreplaceable beast. Man, HP is in a lot of trouble now.

    • Oh and I forgot. Thanks Henkka for everything. Still wishing you’re just on hyatus, and not the indefinite sort.

  11. Tsunku really is a genius. That thread made me fill up with appreciation and gratitude. There’s just something about him and his music that gets people hooked.

    Thank you Henkka. I’ll miss this.

  12. “32: 名無し募集中。。。 2014/05/20(火) 01:11:07.82 0.net
    I was worried sick when I first heard Toki Sora and thought I was listening to Tsunku’s last will.”

    That’s exactly what I thought, too.

  13. Henkka you are just as legendary as Tsunku. We are always be thankful for your translations like we are thankful to Tsunku for his great music.

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