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IAN, Great Underrated Women Composers - Akino Arai [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-04-16

Today is pure escapism, into beautiful fantasy art and music, and some really fine composers as well.

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Hi, I’m Itzl

As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other things that could keep us off DKos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care! Send us a DM if you want to publish a diary or have a cause to share. Head site admin FLSNMom at www.dailykos.com/...

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In the realm of Anime Music, many of us know about the great Yoko Kanno, creator of the wonderful Green Bird Round in Cowboy Bebop, and composer of most of the music in the series, as well as for Escaflowne, where her dark and deeply rich counterpoint in Shadow of Doubt is a masterpiece for modern String Section. She also did beautiful piano solos like Uncharted Waters.

But few in the US have heard of Akino Arai. A highly talented composer of J-Pop, she takes it a step beyond with advanced chord changes and word-painting worthy of Schumann. She also writes all her own poetry for each song and series, subtle and beautifully expressed. It often channels traditional Japanese Waka Poetry with its understated, enigmatic style evoking the older Chinese Kanshi which would accompany ink paintings (see Forms, scroll past table for examples).

Here is her gorgeous classic for the Anime Outlaw Star (episode 1), a space opera starring Gene Starwind and his sidekick Jim (the opening number declares: Don't make fun of it, Don't destroy it, Don't cheapen it, That one special thing everyone has). And from there you are hooked (recommend whole series, many episodes avail free on Youtube). This isn’t just a shoot-em-up, but a multilayered space intrigue with strong female characters. The following music video highlights the 3 ladies of the series, Melfina, Aisha and Suzuka and their life stories (Melfina is an android who can spacewalk without a suit, and the other two are fierce warriors, so no little anime daisies here — these girls are tough stuff). Arai salutes them with just a lovely composition in Dorian mode, using a mix of modern and traditional instruments. It starts with plucked Koto chords:

Hiru No Tsuki, Afternoon Moon

Translation:

One soundless mid-day,

the wind was so peaceful

Flower petals swayed in the breeze

as if they were sleeping.

This serene feeling...

Tell me, what's the word people use for it?

Tell me a tale that's been locked away

in the white sands of the moon.

Let me hear it

as gently as the light shining down…

I don't know what words I can say

The wind has a way to talk to me

Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby

I pray for reply.

Such a warm feeling...

Tell me, what's the name that people give to it?

Softly, let me hear

of a distant future,

so bright that it can't be seen,

like the white sands of the moon.

Quiet day calms me

Oh serenity, someone please

Tell me, what is it they say

Maybe I will know one day.

I don't know what words I can say

The wind has a way to talk to me

Flowers sleep, a silent lullaby

I pray for reply. I'm ready.

Here is the 2nd closing song of the series, House of the Moon. This is Melfina's song to Gene. The character development here makes it more than just a space opera (here is Episode 2 and full Playlist in English). Melfina is a sentient android, and her sincere devotion to Gene is returned when he abandons his girlfriends on Iris to be with her and search for the Galactic Leyline:

Tsuki No Le, House of the Moon

Translation:

Sky, far away sky

A murmured voice

Your dream

now turns the wheel of the stars.

I felt like

I would never be anywhere,

until I felt your eyes on me.

There is but one eclipsed moon

in the corner of my heart...

may it shine enough

to light up whatever narrow path you take.

Quietly, the stars

point the way,

and the path before you

becomes a forest of crystals.

Someday, I want to

protect you from everything,

cradled in the palm of my hands.

On a warm night

as you sleep,

a gentle light lights up

a house where a small moon still dwells

There is but one eclipsed moon

in the corner of my heart...

may it shine enough

to light up whatever narrow path you take.

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Here’s another beautifully evocative song, different album, not an Anime: Madowaku No Hana (Ah, The White Morning Sun)

Translation:

Ah, the white morning sun

Shining on your sleeping back

Ah, the tranquility of the room

Overlooking the sea

The reflection of the sky on my eyes

That are listless after weeping

Ah, the flowers on the windowsill

That bloomed in the rain are shivering

Ah, a hot, hot summer

Is about to begin

And then comes the summer

That we spend by the two of us in an empty room

Even before my heart realized it

I knew you

Ah, far beyond the telephone wires

That echo the sound of the waves

Ah, go and take my fleeting dreams there

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And here’s the famous Macross Plus Episode 1 Anime lead song, Voices. This latest in the Macross series is visually stunning and culturally sophisticated. The Zentradi are now fully integrated into the society on Eden. There is a rivalry between two corporations, and the pitfalls of technology and psychology pit the characters against each other, with flashbacks in 50 shades of grey. Here is Episode 2 in English, highly recommend all. The music is a worthy commentary on the tragic plot:

Voices, Macross Plus

The original Japanese version with advanced Jazz piano, lovely quartal harmonies:

Translation:

The first word in my dreams I could clearly see Planet Eden high beyond the skies 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Beautiful and sad is this story I tell of the winged travelers eager 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 'Twas one day the wind guided him where to go like an eagle high above he flew 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵

Waving from down below he flew out of sight into the mystical darkness 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Neither a smile nor a cry I gave when he left feeling my splendid climbing And hoping one day we'd fly over back to the places we once shared 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Where vessels glide in silky waves and of gold deep in the gulf such planet lies 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Surrounded by this universe love and hate confusion breaks through and dwells 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Cast a spell from the old magic book set a path in the black magic box something strange will happen it will take you so far So try… 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 We can fly We have wings We can touch floating dreams Call me from so far Through the wind And the light… 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Someone came from the dark over from the stars protecting my heart from crying 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Taken back by surprise my traveler returned What went wrong? Why did he change.

And here’s the Anime English Dub soundtrack, very nice orchestration:

This anime is for adults though kids would love the visuals. But wouldn’t get the complex character conflicts, a love triangle, and the difficult, very grey world of politics and morals. It has an uplifting climax however, where 3 old friends reaffirm their faith in each other, though not all survive. Highly recommend Episode 3 and Episode 4 on Hulu tv.movie/… (couldn’t find free download).

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May we all survive this universe of love and hate, and return to Planet Eden to touch our dreams.

[END]
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