In the Silence 2011 DVD Edition

To wet your appetite! Enjoy the DVD everyone!

EDIT: I managed to watch the first disc of the concert yesterday but by good fortune my 2PM Members Selection arrived so I was torn between watching the rest of the concert and enjoying the musical talents of Junho et. al. And then I had yoga...all in all, Wednesday was way too eventful and I couldn't concentrate on Maaya as much as I would have liked due to all the photos of 2PM which arrived at my doorstep, trying to cook, then posing in impossible positions.

However! Despite dividing my attention between beautiful KPop boybands, yoga, cooking dinner, getting changed and the concert, the following jumped out on first viewing (I may do a full review later):

- The camera angles are wonderful. I have noticed on all Maaya's DVDs the cameraman catch some beautiful shots of Maaya, but this time the band and backing singers also struck me as having lovely pieces of screen time.

- The full band really brings easy listening and 30 Minutes Night Flight to life, especially the strings on tracks like 'kioku' and 'afternoon repose'.

- Maaya's wearing a wedding ring (a very pretty one!)

- You cannot see where I am sitting at all! Phew. Although I saw Jerome and Roxfan from maayas.net quite often in the audience.

- Hearing the mini-albums in full, straight through, back to back, is a real pleasure. I am so, so, so happy this concert exists. The sound is full on and rich, the costumes are beautiful and the whole set up is really unique. I am very happy to have been part of it and to have it in my hands on DVD.



'Driving in the silence' - two big thumbs up

I had the day off today which granted me the great pleasure of being at home when Maaya's new concept album 'Driving in the silence' arrived at my doorstep. Excitement!

Yes, I have listened to the album three times already. I'm on the fourth as I write this, I figured I better savour it before bashing out a review. Especially as it's the day before the actual release day - thank you, Amazon Japan. 

Like with Maaya's previous albums YCCM and everywhere the first edition comes in a large slipcase with the limited edition cover on, which then slides off to reveal the normal edition covered CD and the bonus movie disc housed in its own individual case. Lovely packaging and the paper is all very high quality. Ireland looks great and they really got their moneys worth out of that trip: cover art for 'Buddy', 'okaerinasai' and 'driving in the silence' plus 8 minutes worth of movie/music video.

Music-wise, I am really, really enjoying the album.

In fact, the person I had reservations about on the credits list, Rasmus Faber, turned in the three best tracks on the album in my opinion. So long, jazz renditions of anime songs, hello grown up atmospheric tracks of awesomeness. The work he did with Frida really goes well with Maaya's voice. And of course some of the credit must go to Kono Shin for arranging them too. 'Sayonara Santa' and 'Melt the snow in me' we had heard already (and I really like them) but with no previews 'Kyokuya' (polar night) in the second half of the album was something I was looking forward to and it did not dissapoint.

I would have been happy with the whole album being Rasmus/Frida/Kono Shin with these three tracks.

I'm also really enjoying 'Tatoeba ringo ga te ni ochiru you ni' (For example, like an apple falling into your hand) as well. Another track we didn't have a preview for; it reminds me a little of the b-side to 'Saigo no kajitsu'. The instruments sound wonderful in the speakers. In fact, all the instruments in the album sound really lovely and crisp in my speakers. It's a pleasure to listen to.

The other tracks are also enjoyable. The only...well, surprise, I suppose, was 'homemade christmas'. When it came on I was a bit disappointed. It seemed to have 'b-side' written all over it with a good helping of 1980's hairspray and sparkle shoveled on top. I don't know, it didn't sit well with me even though I understand how it fits into the image of Christmas and all, but it just sounded poor in comparison to the tracks in front of it.

With three or four listens however (I know, right?) I am definitely appreciating it more and its place in the album. Especially when I remember than 'bittersweet' on 'easy listening' wasn't exactly my favourite track but I still enjoyed the album over all. Same with 30 Minutes Night Flight being very wishy-washy in places. In fact, after four listens you will lose the urge to skip it. Success!

Over all, I would say that this album is better than 30 Minutes Night Flight, although the concept and journey 30 minutes took us on was more effective. But in terms of the music, I think 'Driving in the silence' is better, the tracks are fresh and interesting to listen to.  Although reading the lyrics it seems like there's a lot of sadness going on in the content - lots of broken hearts at Christmas apparently!

2011...we've had:

You Can't Catch Me
Buddy
Okaerinasai
Driving in the silence

What a year! So much new content, it'll be interesting to see which release people preferred. At the moment I'd say 'Driving in the silence' is more enjoyable than YCCM but that might be because it's new and sparkly!!

What do you guys think?

EDIT: OK, I've found one problem with the album: it won't get out of my head. Now how am I supposed to get a good night's sleep?!

'Driving in the silence' shipped and out tomorrow

Online purchases of Maaya's new concept album are starting to arrive and officially the album is out tomorrow - very exciting!!

Feel free to post your thoughts on the album in the comments section once you've had a chance to listen ^^

'Buddy' gets weekly no. 10 and 'Okaerinasai' on sale

'Buddy' ended up with a weekly position of  no.10 on the Oricon Chart with 12,895 copies sold. When we look at who she was up again: KARA, CN Blue, NMB48 (part of the AKB army)  amongst others it isn't too surprising that she ended up further down the chart - but congratulations for another top ten single!! ^^

I finally got my hands on the photobook and 'Okaerinasai' as well, both of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. The live CD's played back to back...and the whole back story to the concert and the photos. It's a really nice present from Maaya I think. There's actually quite a hefty amount of text for a photobook. It contains Maaya's blog entries from her mobile phone fanclub site as well as interviews and text by another person responsible for writing up the tour. And the photos of course are great.

'A HAPPY NEW YEAR' is a great b-side as well. Thumbs up!

By the way, 'Chikai' off the new mini-album out next month was broadcast on Maaya's new radio show 'from everywhere'. You can find the show on Nico Nico Douga, the song gets played around the 13 minute mark. This is, if you remember, Maaya's second self-composed piece. The two songs we've heard in full...I like both of them. I'm really looking forward to the album >_<

Speaking of which, due to a very international collaboration with a bunch of fans I am the lucky holder of a ticket to the 'in the silence' tour being held in December!! PHEW! THank you guys T_T it really means a lot. Although I read on the Japanese fansite 100331 that on one of the radio shows Maaya's been on in the past few weeks of single PR the live show will feature all the songs from all the mini albums possibly in order or release date. So all of 'easy listening', then 30 minutes, then 'driving in the silence'.

I suppose it would make sense as the albums are meant to be a complete package but I was a little surprised. Well, I guess we'll find out!!

And then after all the excitement, my health broke at the weekend -_-;;;;;  I'm on the mend though, I've been occupied with reading the photobook interviews. It turns out seven days straight working with overtime, trying to get tickets to a concert and lack of sleep isn't good for the body!!

Phew. It's been a long week but we've finally got two singles and a photobook to play with until the album next month!

Congratulations on your good work Maaya - I love it!

Thank you for all your support

The first entry on this blog was made in January 2008, it's now July 2011. Starting off well then slowing down half-way, I think this blog is now quite healthy. After three and a half years one might hope so!

Thank you to everyone who has visited and to all those who have commented, especially recently. I really appreciate you supporting this site.

Image shamelessly stolen from Megumi's wonderful Melodie.

I also have an announcement of sorts, at the end of the month I will be starting a new job in Japan for at least twelve months. While that should be great for the ol' Japanese ability and thus great for translations of Maaya goodies, I'm not quite sure what effect it will have on this blog.

Once I've moved out and settled down, I'm sure things will return to normal but over July and August updates will probably be erratic. Certainly the beginning of August to the beginning of September look like they will be crazy busy.

So! Just a warning in advance that if I dissapear for a while, that's what is going on. Busy, busy. busy.

Great things are happening in Maaya-world this year though:

- re-issue of I.D essay book (means I don't need to take my copy with me - lighter luggage!)
- Full Moon Recital Hall illustration + CD collection
- photobook
- new album

And possibly other wonderful things to come.

Blast from the past

Look what turned up on a Japanese Maaya-fan tumblr account I follow:

http://termin.tumblr.com/post/6716317728

Yes, that's me. Years and years ago! I thought I recognised it! Who would have thought that it would have been floating around the internet in 2011.

When did tune the rainbow get released? 2004?

Let this be a lesson to everyone: what you put on the internet is there forever! ^^;;

Interesting discussion on the translation of novels...

Yes, I know it's not Maaya-news but it *is* on the subject of translation and I know that a couple of people who drop in here are also translators in their free time so I thought I would post it up for reference.

Translations lost in Booker International prize judging
It's a sad truth that authors whose original work one cannot read are at an inescapable disadvantage

Read it on the Guardian website here.

Julian Barnes discussed the problem with particular reference to Madame Bovary. He cites six different English renderings of a single sentence, which vary to one degree or another, and of which, he observes, none is obviously preferable to the others. He resorts to a wine-tasting metaphor called "mouthfeel" to make the necessary discriminations between the alternatives.

Equally, a "brilliantly witty but sparse and snappy tale" by the Congolese novelist Alain Mabanckou was recently translated by two different people, who were unaware of each other's efforts until the time came to compare them. Their final texts had only one sentence in common. It read: "Really?" So: of the two versions of the story, which is "by" Alain Mabanckou? Both? The better of the two? Neither?

You only have to compare one set of translated Maaya lyrics to another to see that, just like the above, it's usually a case of 'same but different'. But if you don't speak Japanese then I suppose it's all down to personal preference, which turn of English phrase do you prefer?

As Maaya takes so much care with her selection of words in her lyrics and essays, what appears here is most likely a very poor interpretation no matter how much I have improved since beginning this blog in 2008.

An interesting read anyway!

'Les Mis' essay finished...

Phew! What a nice way to spend Saturday morning, delving into Maaya's prose. I really hope everyone's enjoyed the Les Mis essay. It was a really nice read as I was doing it as well, despite Maaya's depths of despair being the main theme.

In Maaya's new essay book from everywhere she talks about graduating Eponine and how she knew it was time to go. A nice link back to the 'I.D' essay book as well as being a nice way to set foot on the way forwards.

Anyway, enjoy the last part!

P.S it might be worth going back and listening to 'Shounen Alice' with fresh ears after reading this essay as that album was a product of this turbulent time, after all. Internal conflict breeds creativity?...And from her past two tours we know at least 'Hikari are' is an important piece of Maaya's history.

Back to normal!

Thanks to ct760ster for letting me know what was going on, Blogger apparently had its knickers in a twist for the past few days and they were sorting it out. All is well the world.

Enjoy the essay now it's back and thank you for your patience.

Public service announcement

Well, I said it would be a few days and look! A miracle! Good, eh?

However, before you go on to the entry I just have something to talk about with everyone. A colleague of mine spoke to a guy from Shelterbox this morning, which is a charity which sends boxes out to disaster zones with tents and shelter, food, equipment etc. I don't want to bang on about donating when I'm sure everyone has been bombarded with places to donate for the past two weeks (I know I have) so I'm not telling you to give money, just to have a look at what they do. Here's a video for starters of their work in Japan at the moment:

This charity is working directly with Japanese local authorities in the hit areas, and according to the guy who was speaking to us on the phone it is so much worse than it looks on TV. And the problem is that now Japan has fallen off the headlines, it doesn't even make the evening news anymore that these evacuees are living in terrible conditions in school gyms and other public buildings designated as evacuation centres.

My Japanese colleagues have said they feel embarrassed that they are getting donations from countries like Pakistan that have their own flooding disaster to deal with. And the guy from Shelterbox said that at first the local authorities in Japan were reluctant to accept the boxes because 'we don't sleep in tents'. But the evacuation centres are full to the brim, there's little heating etc. the Shelterbox equipment would really make a difference to the lives of people on the ground there. If only by letting them have privacy in the form of their own tent. It's the little things that count.

So please take a look at the Shelterbox website here even if it's just out of curiousity. I'm not going to tell you to donate, but I personally think it's a good, practical way to help. I mean, look at all the stuff that goes into that thing! And you know exactly what your money buys: that box. That box is going to help someone, somewhere. And wouldn't that be great? If you enjoy today's translation then please take a minute to check it out.

OK! Lecture over! Today's translation will be up soon (^^)V

...or rather, it will be up today but not right now because I just deleted the draft entry it was in and I don't have the hard copy on my work PC. Curse you lunch time blogging! See you guys later!

EDIT: Local governments in Japan request ShelterBox.

EDIT 2: An article by the Japan Times blog on creative shelters for evacuees, including ShelterBox.

Babble...

EDIT: This was at the top of the new translation below but was getting way too long. Skip below for the newest blog entry...er...apart from this one.

Well, the brand new tour for 'You Can't Catch Me' is on the road and includes a big white tour lorry carting the equipment around the country. The setlist is floating around but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Although I've already spoilt it for myself. Which is ridiculous since I'm lucky enough to be going in two weeks (-_-);;

On another note, I passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1 which was held in December. I'm happy but at the same time I'm sort of 'er...is that right?!' ha,ha. Oh well! I suppose it gives me the confidence to carry on doing my best on this blog. Hurrah! But seriously, I can't believe it myself 0_0 Please give me an English test someone!

By the way, thank you all for reading over the past three months because the stats tell me this blog has reached 6,000 hits. And it also says that damn IDS update is STILL the highest rated entry here - probably because I pointed it out, eh? But thank you all the same!

Hope you're all enjoying YCCM still!

Lawson Ticket.com YCCM Tour Interview 03/2011

Lawson (the Japanese convenience store chain) is currently promoting the ticket sales for the final two stops of the YCCM tour next month. They've put together a special little page with an interview, profile etc. Here's the small interview part for your reading pleasure. 'tis rather short...


Maaya Sakamoto Live Tour 2011 - Additional Performances! Interview March 2011
Original text: Ishizumi Yuka here.


Maaya Sakamoto’s new album ‘You Can’t Catch Me’ sees in the sixteenth year since her debut. Not only does it bring many creators and sound producers on board including Horigome Takaki (KIRINJI), Tomita Keichi, Suneohair, Suemitsu Atsushi and Shibata Jun, the album also has significance within the frequently fragmented J-POP scene as a real and honest pop record. The result of which was probably the favourable reaction to the album, scoring number one on the weekly chart.

Sakamoto: Not producing a summary just because it was my fifteenth anniversary, but taking a chance to do something a little edgy – I wanted to show the people who come something that they can’t imagine, as well as feel that freshness for myself.

Each of the twelve songs has its own surprise but it’s the lead song ‘Himitsu’, within which a woman’s feelings are laid bare, warts and all, that her expressions as a lyricist are particularly fresh.

Sakamoto: That part was a challenge I set myself: I wonder if I can express something about who I am now that I want to hide from others into words?

There’s a part of me that has become able to put up a defensive barrier when I come into contact with the world, but actually at the base of that there’s a me that’s not made-up for others. It’s probably the foundation for a variety of ways I express myself so I thought that from now on it might be ok to show people who I am inside, just as I am, a little muddy.

A work which has a borne a rich harvest, both musically and mentally, is now taken on tour.

Sakamoto: This is surprisingly the first time I’ve done a concert based off a record. So I want to keep the atmosphere of the album.

For this record, from the middle of the recording process I was working on the assumption that there would be a concert and so created the sound with that in mind.

Instead of getting absorbed in performing, I would like a concert where the sound is delivered simply. On top of that, because this is the first tour where I’ve done so many stops I’m interested to see what happens to me, or rather that while I’m doing this tour I’m looking forward to discovering something new!

Fin

I don't know why...

...but for whatever reason this is the most visited translation on this whole blog. Baffling. It's so short! I guess that's one of the mysteries of the internet for you.

EDIT: and by posting about it, I have merely given it more hits!

Blog layout change...

You might have noticed that the layout of I.D. Maaya has changed over the past few days. First I switched the order of the blog posts and information columns, now I've changed the design completely. Yes, I hadn't realised there were free templates all over the internet for Blogger. So I spent a while paging through and trying to find one I liked. Now I've settled on a final design.

I also realised that comments were set to only allow people with Google accounts to post, I've removed that and now anyone is free to comment on posts.

Another good point about the new design is that you don't have to search for the tags anymore, they are all down the left hand side (blog, interview, news, radio etc.) so you can click for the type of translation you want to look for in the archives.

I'm actually stunned I started this page in 2008...about time I updated the layout to make it more user friendly!

EDIT: and the 'Blog Parts' from Maaya's website finally work as well. Genius!...

Happy New Year 2011

It's the first day of January 2011, a brand new day and a brand new year. Many thanks to everyone who visited this blog over the past twelve months, I hope that you enjoyed your time spent reading through the translations. I would like to say thank you in particular to all the people who took the time to comment, I really do appreciate it - it's always interesting to hear your thoughts!

I hope you all have a wonderful 2011!!!

Thank you!

So, I just noticed that 'stats' tab on Blogger and it seems that people have been visiting and taking the time to read my translations (and those of others that have been archived here) and I'd like to say thank you very much. Yes, yes, I know that people come here because of the comments and because of the threads on forums etc. where I post the links but it still gives me warm fuzzies to see it there on a graph.

I know I'm a slow worker but I hope that you're enjoying the back numbers while I work on the next piece to go up. So sorry and thank you!

Thank you for reading! Will do my best to get something up as soon as I can ^^V

MIA

Sorry for the lack of updates, I started a new job this month (move to a new town included) and it's been a little hectic to say the least. Maayas.net has a lot of news for now and I'll do my best to get something up asap.

While we're on the subject...

...as this is a translation blog, I found this article by Matt Thorn to be very enlightening:

http://matt-thorn.com/wordpress/?p=407

It addresses issues in translation of manga mainly but also about translation in general. The comments are interesting too.

As an amateur translator (and I would be the first to say it) I worry about the adequacy of my translations. There are sections that are clumsy, words which might sound unnatural and grammar which is...well, all over the place.

While I've been concentrating on getting the translation of Maaya's words and intentions 'right', I've sacrificed the English to my own impatience. When I finish a translation I press the 'submit' button on this blog as soon as possible, barely skimming the paragraphs for glaring errors.

This article has really inspired me to step up my game. It's a matter of personal pride.

Exciting!

Following up with the concert report I posted up from September but...according to my friend I who I went with, the nice boy we bought the live tickets off who is in IDS...this is a very tenuous link I know but stay with me...

My comment made it on to the Christmas DVD!!!

Apparently. I have no way to hear it and my friend isn't in the fanclub either so she hasn't heard it but...it got published! Which means Maaya must have either heard it or chosen it...who knows. It's on there! I'm ecstatic but I made such an embarrassing mess of my comment that it's a little scary to think it's out there being listened to Maaya and the rest of the fanclub.

But how cool is that!! I hope that people who have managed to get tickets for the March Budokan live will be able to show their support for Maaya as international fans as well! Flying the flag for international Maaya fans :D

By the way, on the first Vitamin-M radio show of this year Maaya phoned up some fans to speak to them in person. That's pretty cool! A girl and a boy. The boy was a little quiet, I think he might have been a bit overwhelmed but the girl was really cute. Well, she sounded sweet.

Woo!! That's my news :D

EDIT: it's official, I got a message from the lovely IDS member himself. Apparently they played the message then a surprised Maaya commented going 'wow someone came from England' or something ^^VVVVV GYAAAAAHHHH exciting!! Thank you to my friend, and the guy and Maaya and everyone I met at the concert. It was AWESOME.

I hope people can go to the Budokan live!!

New Maaya Sakamoto Translation Site

For all the people who have despaired at the fact Maaya's official home page has so much news, views and Maaya resources but alas, no English language version, there is a new site just for you!!

http://sakamotomaaya.com/

Maaya Sakamoto's official home page is being translated completely (what a project!) by deltafour from Maaya's. It's 62% complete according to the bar at the top and anyone can see that even 62% is a LOT of work. I'm impressed and slightly jealous. Anyway, let's all support the newest addition to the translators guild of Maaya Sakamoto!!

Work on this blog should resume sometime next week hopefully!