Let me talk about my favorite singer
Who is Chanmina?
Do you know a Japanese female singer, Chanmina(ちゃんみな）?
In the comment section of her songs in YouTube, you can find countless fans’ comments.
– “That was phenomenal”
– “Mina, I love this song so much”
– 『ちゃんみなさんの歌詞が1番自分に刺さります』（her lyrics always hit me better than anybody else’s lyrics)
What makes her distinctive?
I don’t know how others feel about her songs but I always feel like her songs have a strong message. I find the vulnerable part of the independent lady in every song of hers in her lyrics and her facial expressions in a music video.
It is not what everyone can do. It is natural people have a fear of judgements by others. What if somebody considers me a weirdo? What if somebody hates me? Everybody wants to show only their strength. But, at the same time, we need somebody who understands us.
I think she captures this conflict well since she is a survivor of bullying. Probably, she herself was the one who needed “somebody” badly in her past and she tries to be “somebody” for someone who needs support now. I don’t know how she really feels but, at least, she always shows understanding about vulnerable aspects.
About a song “Never grow up”
Let me introduce one of her songs; “Never grow up”. This song is about heartbreak.
『何が愛か知らない だから二人で愛を作ったんだ』
（We didn’t knwo what “love” is. That’s why two of us have created “love”)
『あなたがピーターで 私がウェンディを演じた』
(You were my Peter and I was your Wendy)
『いつもとは違う ほんとのほんとのさよならをしよう 月が綺麗だね』
(Let’s say “true” good-bye. Such a beautiful moon tonight)
From the lyric 『何が愛か知らない』, I guess the girl and the boy has a complex background such as growing up in a dysfunctional family or going through cold relationships. They tried to find something different. – a relationship with trust and mutual understanding.
However, it doesn’t really work. Peter is a boy who rejects growing up. He lives in the world which only has the present. Wendy is a girl who accepts to be a lady, hoping a good future. That is to say, the boy is satisfied with the happy current relationship and the girl wants more. What they look for is different.
So they put an end to their relationship. But she said 『月が綺麗だね』
This means more than “the moon is beautiful” in Japanese. There is a rumor that Natsume Soseki – 文豪 or a Japanese classic author- translates “I love you” into “the moon is beautiful” since Japanese people are not as open. When I heard this translation, the picture came up in my mind which a couple is looking at the beautiful moon in a peaceful night together, sitting next to each other. Now, it turned out this rumor is just a rumor, not true. That being said, this translation is loved. Whether this rumor is true or not, this translation fits Japanese culture which loves nuanced fleeting beauty rather than explicit long-lasting beauty.
After all, in the song, the girl might think their relationship is not a waste of time even though it isn’t a happy ending.
By the way, she is so good at English and Korean as well and some of her songs include a lot of English songs. I think her songs are easy to listen to for learners of Japanese.
I hope you enjoy this article and if so, listen to her songs and share your comments!
Leave a Reply