"Suki sa" - Anzen Chitai

I dare you not to think S-s-s! A-a-a! F-f-f! E-e-e! T-t-t! Y-y-y! in your head when you think of Anzen Chitai and how their name means "safety zone".

Recently Anzen Chitai started their national tour after reuniting last year after a hiatus of nearly a decade. I don't know much about them, outside of a couple of songs that I've heard over the years. They formed in the 70's (as a bunch of high schoolers in Hokkaido) and played nearly a decade before debuting (and becoming super popular) in the eighties. They went the separate ways in the nineties, doing their own projects, then popped up in the 2000's for a while, and then popped off once again, until last year.

『好きさ』 is the first song of theirs that I heard. I don't think it's the most popular, but I like it (and the lead singer Tamaki is sporting a pretty sweet hair/beard style on the video) so I present it to you here. It happens to be the theme song of Maison Ikkoku, by Rumiko Takahashi of Ranma 1/2 fame.

Youtube is a go-to if you're interested in any of their many other songs/albums. The video here also has a translation attached, different from my own. (Regarding the translation - specifically the line とまらない熱いときめきに / 涙をみせないで: I was a little hung up on that に. When I read it I took it as a sign that とまらない熱いときめき is the cause for the 涙, in the way that you "cry for/with shame". It sounds strange though and I'm not sure if the lines are supposed to be connected at all. Maybe it's just "Unstoppable hot palpitation/Don't show your tears" [or a more poetic version of that]. What do you, O Possibly Nonexistent But Appreciated If Existent Reader, think?)

好きさ しびれるほど 好きさ くやしいほど おそれるものは なにもない 好きさ 忘れられない きりがない甘い接吻を 風がむりにほどく とまらない熱いときめきに 涙をみせないで 好きさ しびれるほど 好きさ くやしいほど 思いつめれば 狂いそう 好きさ はなしたくない 帰れない あなたの肌にも 夜がしのびこんで しかたない  別れ間際には 無傷じゃいられない 憎めない つめたいしぐさは 逢えないとつらくて  やるせない あなたのその声 心がこわれそう 好きさ 好きさ…

I love you so much that it numbs me  I love you so much it disturbs me  There is nothing that can hurt us I love you -- I can't forget you A million sweet kisses  as we're torn apart by the wind  Don't cry for this endless feverish heartbeat I love you so much that it numbs me I love you so much it disturbs me  When I think about you, I fear that I'll go mad I love you -- I never want to leave you  We can't go back Evening has drawn over your skin  It's no use we can't walk away unscathed  I can't hate your coldness I long for it when we can't meet When I hear that woeful voice of yours I fear my heart will break  I love you  I love you...