Traxan

My translator comes through again:
 
I went to dinner with former member Rami.

She is starting a new band named Raguraia and they will be releasing a CD soon. Rami is working really hard.

I really feel happy for her!!

When she had to leave Aldious, her doctor said that she won't be able to perform live anymore. In the three years since then, she has worked real hard to overcome her condition and also did a lot of singing practice, so now she is able to sing again.

I am just so happy.

To me, music and my band are the most important part of my life; so when I think about the possibility of losing them, it would be like losing hope and dream. It would probably be more painful than dying.

Rami feels the same way as I do, that is why she worked super hard to get back to where she is now, I am so proud of her and I am really happy for her.

Congratulations

Even though she is not part of our band anymore, we will continue to push and encourage each other, together we will show the world just how wonderful metal and music is.

I'll be rooting for her and please everyone check them out.

Since we haven't seen each other in a while now, so it was nice to catch up and it brought back a lot of good memories.

Well, the ice has been broken.
 

 
Toki blogged about it here: http://ameblo.jp/tokidious/entry-11999612594.html

Her words, not mine.
 
Does she look mixed to you?
 

I don't discount your theory. Doctors have been wrong before. When she said no chance of permanent recovery, I believed her, that's all.
 
Anyway, in a blog update I found out where her unusual band name comes from. Raglaia is a combination of R, as in Rami, and the Greek goddess Aglaia, the goddess of beauty and splendor.
 
Also found this: an autobiography of sorts she did for MusicJapanPlus. She described herself as "American and Okinawa mixed breed." I never would have guessed.

It's a real annoying trend among Japanese bands to disable comments. Those comment sections might help us non-Japanese speakers if someone translates the video, after all. Yet I see it all the time. The Rami video I posted is a perfect example. It's just 45 seconds of her talking nervously to the camera, this is her first public statement in 2.5 years since revealing the brain disease that forced her to quit Aldious. Yet comments are disabled. Why?

It's a real annoying trend among Japanese bands to disable comments. Those comment sections might help us non-Japanese speakers if someone translates the video, after all. Yet I see it all the time. The Rami video I posted is a perfect example. It's just 45 seconds of her talking nervously to the camera, this is her first public statement in 2.5 years since revealing the brain disease that forced her to quit Aldious. Yet comments are disabled. Why?

I'd been rewatching "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," which has rapidly become my favorite anime series, and it was driving me crazy. Who did Leader Desla remind me of? Then, bingo.
 

 
He's Yasutaka Nakata!

I'd been rewatching "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," which has rapidly become my favorite anime series, and it was driving me crazy. Who did Leader Desla remind me of? Then, bingo.
 

 
He's Yasutaka Nakata!

I'd been rewatching "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," which has rapidly become my favorite anime series, and it was driving me crazy. Who did Leader Desla remind me of? Then, bingo.
 

 
He's Yasutaka Nakata!

I'd been rewatching "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," which has rapidly become my favorite anime series, and it was driving me crazy. Who did Leader Desla remind me of? Then, bingo.
 

 
He's Yasutaka Nakata!

Gacharic Spin / ガチャガチャダンサーズ(gachagacha dancers) new maxi single "赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar) / 溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY)" will be released at 2015/02/25 (4 TYPE)
 
limited edition TYPE A (1,800yen) will include CD+DVD (including "赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar)" PV & making), limited edition TYPE B (1,800yen) will include CD+DVD (including "溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY)" PV & making), and limited edition TYPE C (1,000yen) & regular edition (1,400yen) will include CD only
 
[limited edition TYPE A CD track list]
01.赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar) (Gacharic Spin)
02.溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY) (ガチャガチャダンサーズ(gachagacha dancers))
03.赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar)(inst.)
 
[limited edition TYPE B CD track list]
01.溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY) (ガチャガチャダンサーズ(gachagacha dancers))
02.赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar) (Gacharic Spin)
03.溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY)(inst.)
 
[limited edition TYPE C track list]
01.溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY) (ガチャガチャダンサーズ(gachagacha dancers))
02.赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar) (Gacharic Spin)
 
[regular edition track list]
01.赤裸ライアー(akahadaka liar) (Gacharic Spin)
02.溶けないCANDY(tokenai CANDY) (ガチャガチャダンサーズ(gachagacha dancers))
03.[title not yet finalized]

You're bored with it? Try the American metal scene. Nothing BUT metalcore. It's mainly the reasons my tastes run to Europe for the symphonic metal and Japan for the ladymetal.

Ok, little setup for those who don't know.
 
J-MELO is a Japanese music show on NHK World, the English-language version of Japan's NHK channel. It's on AT&T U-verse and several other cable providers in big cities around the U.S.
 
The host is May J, a cute multi-ethnic singer who has her own healthy career in Japan and her English is flawless. In the intro to tonight's (12/23) show, she said there had been numerous requests for Visual Kei and they were going to answer the demand.
 
The bands profiled were Jupiter, D=Out and Div. All three performed one song in between interviews with May. Unfortunately, the show really didn't get into what VK is about. Lots of dumb questions from readers like is there a bandmate you don't want to room with on the road.
 
They also announced a VK section on the J-MELO site: http://www.nhk.or.jp/j-melo/nhkworld/english/event/20140308_visual-kei/volume/volume5/
 
It will repeat on NHK over the next day, so if you have the channel, try and catch it. if you want.

O-EAST holds about 1300 people, but this event is going to be held over three venues: O-EAST, O-WEST (~600 people), and O-CREST (~200 people). All these venues are in the same area... O-EAST & O-CREST are in the same complex and O-WEST is across the street. People who purchase a ticket are able to go freely between the venues.

"This photo is from today with ALDIOUS' new support drummer NANA-A! It's only been a short while, but her drumming is really powerful! Thank you, it was a lot of fun!"

The Google translation isn't very good,except for her name being NANA-A, so I'm not sure if she is full time or a fill-in. But she's full time, then these girls don't fuck around. Rami was replaced in a month and so has Aruto, it seems. Does anyone recognize her? She's a cutie.
 
https://twitter.com/aldioustoki/status/544170855777857536
 

 

 
And the girls are sporting some ridonkulous outfits these days.
 

The Google translation isn't very good,except for her name being NANA-A, so I'm not sure if she is full time or a fill-in. But she's full time, then these girls don't fuck around. Rami was replaced in a month and so has Aruto, it seems. Does anyone recognize her? She's a cutie.
 
https://twitter.com/aldioustoki/status/544170855777857536
 

 

 
And the girls are sporting some ridonkulous outfits these days.
 

Time to shock you. Sorta. No it's not on YouTube. Go here:
 
http://www.jpopasia.com/group/aldious/discography/
 
To the immediate left of a song title, you will see what looks like 35mm film icons. That means the entry has a video. Most are on Youku, some are on DailyMotion. But they are in their entirety.
 
I do agree that they are stupid for putting partial videos on YouTube, but I can see both sides of disabling comments. On the one hand, fans are denied a chance to communicate with the band (as I understand it, the girls own Bright Star Records, which posts the videos). OTOH, they are probably sparing themselves some obnoxious sexist and racist comments. I am thoroughly sickened by what I've seen said about the Babymetal girls by people who don't like them.

This is track 5 off the album and my translator said it was the toughest he ever had. This is it for Aldious translations. I'm not going to bother my translator any more.
 
-----
 
The star like heart is melting like the moon disappearing into the dark night

extend out the hand
light and shadow returning to the sky

the track of tear reflects the loneliness that remains in my heart
I will continue to pray even if I would to rot away and keep on getting hurt

You are burdened with having to relive through the forgotten guilt, memory filled with blood.
The least I can do for you is to break you completely myself just like that day

I will put my hand on my chest and continue to pray toward the sky

my eyes reflect the blood and tears
I will continue on even if I stay lonely and keep on getting hurt

You are burdened with an old wound that has opened up again, having completely lost your voice
The least I can do for you is to not hesitate and break you completely myself just like that day

The tears reflect the loneliness that is left in my heart
I will continue to look up even if I rot away and keep on getting hurt

You are burdened with having to relive through the forgotten guilt, memory filled with blood.
The least I can do for you is to not hesitate and show you the end myself just like that day

The judgement of Shion (shion is a type of flower Aster tataricus and its flower language is 'I won't forget you')
to the tainted memory and broken you

This is the third track off "Deep Exceed" and the title is in Kanji. I'm using the title provided by the JPopAsia Site.
 
Original lyrics here:
 
http://www.jpopasia.com/group/aldious/lyrics/deep-exceed/yoru-chou::47902.html
 
Translation from a friend, who warns with the caveat that literal translations are not possible, and some poetry/flow is lost. A straight translation is tough.
 
You approached me silently to present me with everything you have
I will use my eyes as a weapon and seize everything you have hidden from me

In this space where a group of night butterflies gather together and spread their colorful wings (note, the night butterfly, which is pronounced 'yachou', is a slang for club hostess)
They spread the scales which will make you my slave and only capable of looking at me

I won't suck up to anyone
I also don't take orders from anyone

There is another side to these pair of beautiful eyes, they have seen all the darkness you can imagine
drool falls from my lips, I have lived my whole life without showing anyone the real me.

I am afraid to trust anyone....I am scared to do so

Before I can realize it though, I am affected by your straight forward emotions, which I can't forgive myself for
I only know the world at night

Even the pair of wings which is covered in darkness is dyed white by tears
Now I am a night butterfly that is flying toward the sun with you in a world without lies

A friend translated this for me. This is the original. The band now does a Re:No version, which likely changed.
 
-----
I pretended to not see the hand that is reached toward me
I ran away because I was afraid to get involved with the warmth of people

There are grey clouds in the sky, cold snow is falling
I laid face down while loneliness pushed me from behind

while I was down, you came and shone the light on my heart; which was wandering in the darkness, with your smile

Ah I am filled with emotions that I want to get across to you
I hope that it will expand like wings along with this song
My wish song

The saying that the world is filled with rose color is a lie
It is actually surrounded by high walls
However, you are the one that lead me out of the confinement

Ah
I want to cherish the different feelings , which is like a rainbow, with you and sing this song
Ah

Ah LaLaLaLa
It doesn't matter what the world is like
I want to cherish the bond with you and sing together
My wish song

I got a translation.
 
HPでは「体調不良」と簡潔に書かせて頂いておりますが
実際は重く、完治が見込めない脳の病気です。
世の中には沢山同じ病名の方がいらっしゃいますが
私には私だけの症状があります。
病名は身内にしか知られたくないので、お察し下さい。

"Even though on our official homepage, it is simply stated as 'not feeling well', but the truth is it is a severe/serious condition of the brain that can not be completely cured. There are many people out there that has the same disease as me, but I have symptoms that are specific to me. As to the exact name and detail of the disease, that is something that I want to keep within my family and I, thank you for your understanding."

Therefore, it is indeed a disease related to the brain, but I don't know if it is either physical or mentally, but it is very serious and might even be life threatening. She also wrote this paragraph afterwards

ブログで、命に関する内容のものを沢山書くようになりました。
それは、私が死の淵に直面した出来事があったからです。

"I started writing entries in my blog regarding life. The reason I started was because I have to deal with the possibility of death directly"
 
-------
 
Thing is, she never blogged again.
 
Man, that's sad.

Ok I think I found an answer. Does anyone here speak/read Japanese?
 
http://mixi.jp/view_bbs.pl?comm_id=5474589&id=72120559
 
Both Google and Bing translate say she has some kind of brain disease and will never fully recover. Can anyone confirm?
 
   HPでは「体調不良」と簡潔に書かせて頂いておりますが
    実際は重く、完治が見込めない脳の病気です。
    世の中には沢山同じ病名の方がいらっしゃいますが
    私には私だけの症状があります。
    病名は身内にしか知られたくないので、お察し下さい。

    ブログで、命に関する内容のものを沢山書くようになりました。
    それは、私が死の淵に直面した出来事があったからです。

I'm tempted to say that if you can dedicate an entire site to one genre of music, it's oversaturated, but that would be oversimplistic.
 
Take a lesson from hair metal in the US in the 80s. When did it get oversaturated? When Motley Crue and Poison took off for the stratosphere and every major label had to sign two or three glam bands. They all tried to one up each other in the outrageous department and the music suffered. Labels grabbed whatever they could and the scond- and third-tier bands were getting signed when they should never have gotten out of the LA clubs.
 
Now in the case of the poodleheads, most people say grunge killed it, but that's false. Glam was already on the way down a few years prior. Most who know better think what killed glam in the US was a documentary called "Decline of the Western Civilization: The Metal Years." The first "Decline" movie was about punk but it showed what punk was about and railing against. Glam in "Decline 2", on the other hand, came off terribly. The bands and fans were pathetic, embarrassing, laughable jokes. Megadeth came off as the adults in the movie, and they were raging heroin addicts. Mustaine got such a laugh out of that. 
 
But followed "Decline 2" glam bands stopped getting signed and emphasis fell off. Metallica had begun its ascendency and Guns n Roses exploded on the scene, and they were definitely not glam. They were a modern day Rolling Stones. Raw and raunchy but they had the music to back it up.
 
So I got one question: would you all say the latest in VK is a bunch of third-rate bands not fit to be the roadie for the top bands? Because there is your answer.