Longing Identity
Ibuki's entrance into AKATSUKI has insensitive parallels to the history between Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, specifically the annexation of Ryukyu into Okinawa from 1872-1879 onward. Click for more information
AKATSUKI is a unit embodied by 和 (wa, lit. harmony, but also a self-designator for Japan). The word 和風 (wafu, Japanese style) comes from 和. During the Meiji Restoration, 和 was central to Japan’s efforts to unify and assimilate new territories under a shared cultural identity. On top of his membership, Ibuki's active pursuit of 本当の和風 (true Japanese-style) being the reason he pursues AKATSUKI is inappropriate, bearing this in mind.
Additionally, the Ryukyu Disposition was driven by military interests, particularly securing Japan's southern borders from other nations. In Okinawan schools, national pride was linked to serving Japan’s military goals. This had devastating consequences, particularly during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. This in mind, having Ibuki join the self-proclaimed "war unit" is also inappropriate.
A full-length content warning post will expand on these in more detail upon the release of The Legend of KAGETSU translation.
| Voice | Line | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ibuki | You say you’re already sick of it, you’re bored | 0:17 |
| There’s no chance doing whatever you please will be enough on its own | 0:24 | |
| A “Nothing yet, it’s whatever” Day & Night | 0:28 | |
| Ibuki | Pretending to be looking for something— the reason you were so excited | 0:30 |
| Ibuki | You want this song of self-indulgence to ring out further | 0:42 |
| If it’s half-hearted1, it won’t reverberate | 0:46 | |
| Just because you’re laughing doesn’t mean you're having fun | 0:50 | |
| Chorus | ||
| Ibuki | Naively Dancing through a world of intersecting moments | 0:53 |
| A sudden sound carries over to me. | 0:59 | |
| Yeah, the steady tread of Steps from far off in the distance | 1:00 | |
| Living, breathing freedom reverberates from the voice you could hear | 1:05 | |
| Ibuki | You know it’s okay to have dreams, right? | 1:10 |
| Don’t you see it yet? | 1:14 | |
| Ibuki | It doesn’t need to have meaning all the time | 1:16 |
| So you should just live honest as you can2 | 1:22 | |
| Ibuki | The things you felt you discovered today may just be fleeting moments | 1:25 |
| Even then, you still long for a true hope somewhere | 1:28 | |
| Ibuki | The reason you craved for the object of your yearning | 1:33 |
| Was, without a doubt, the sobering realization that you thirsted for it | 1:43 | |
| Just because you have more doesn’t mean it’s better | 1:48 | |
| If you lose interest in it, you don’t need it | 1:51 | |
| Chorus | ||
| Ibuki | Naively Dancing through a world of intersecting people | 1:54 |
| You’ve finally found your way | 2:00 | |
| Which Step should you take? You’ll stay the course | 2:02 | |
| The freedom in your eyes that doesn’t lie | 2:07 | |
| Ibuki | You never imagined you’d want to sing from the very bottom of your heart like this | 2:12 |
| You still don’t know | 2:20 | |
| Ibuki | New emotions fill your chest to the brim, passion awaits | 2:27 |
| The more you discover, the more you want to make it come true | 2:33 | |
| You’re looking forward to that kind of tomorrow | 2:41 | |
| It’s like waking up, a crimson impulse3 piercing through | 2:45 | |
| Chorus | ||
| Ibuki | Naively Dancing through a world of intersecting light | 2:47 |
| It’s okay if it’s just you | 2:54 | |
| (Searching for a light) | 2:55 | |
| Yeah, you’ll feel the tread you take in those Steps | 2:56 | |
| Breaking through and running through a dazzling future | 3:00 | |
| Ibuki | Every time, I want Identity4 | 3:06 |
| You’ll dance to the beat of your heart, what you thought you could find | 3:10 | |
| New emotions fill your chest to the brim, passion awaits | 3:20 |
Interpretation Notes
⦿ Ibuki has a recurring theme of running away from things. I believe this song reflects that habit. Because of that, I translated it with a dissociative feel, using "you" as Ibuki speaking to himself.
Translation Notes
- ↑ A theme that comes up in both Tenshou KAGETSU and the Legend of KAGETSU is half-heartedness.
- ↑ I tried to model this line off an Okinawan saying Ibuki says often; Makuto so~ke~, nankuru nai sa~, meaning “If you’ve done everything as honest as you can, it’ll all work itself somehow”.
- ↑ With Kobayashi's articulation, the 紅く突き抜ける (crimson piercing through) part of the line is a homophone on AKATSUKI (AKA-ku-TSUKI).
- ↑ In English.