April 18, 2013

Kanojo wa Uso wo Aishisugiteru [Chapter 44]

Flashback: Toddler Sou started to crawl around. Toddler Riko used the table to help her stand up but she lost her balance and fell down on crawling Sou. Narration: “I already don’t quite remember when I knew Riko. When I start to have recollections, Riko is already there. We always stick together but it is only once when we weren’t together. It was during play time.” In section 3-1, Sou exclaimed in disbelief that Riko doesn’t want to play dodgeball. Listening to CP on her CD player, Riko told him that dodgeball is a game that only kids play, and she won’t play it. Sou is speechless. Narration: “During third grade elementary, I always hear from my classmates over how Crude Play’s Shun is so handsome. *girls are chattering with each other that Shun is so handsome, a girl bought a magazine that has Shun in it, and another girl wanted to marry him* The girls in class kept on chattering about this non-stop. *Sou glanced at Riko who happily listened to her CD* I thought that Riko and those girls are the same. Honestly, at that time, I’m quite disappointed. From the very start, Riko is an idiot. Always submerging herself in a dream that she ignores the others around her. *While Riko is listening to her CD by the hallway’s window, a teacher suddenly took her player. He reprimanded her for bringing it to school and he’s going to confiscate it. *When our original homeroom teacher, Yamauchi [山内], went on a maternity leave, she was replaced by a very irritating man.” Sou bowed to the substitute teacher in apology. He apologized and said that Riko promised that she won’t bring it to school again so please give it back to her.. Riko angrily shouts to give it back. She tries to grab it back but the substitute teacher held it up high and told her that if she kept on listening to trash music, she would become an idiot. Sou shouted for Riko to wait and calm down but it was too late, Riko already gave the substitute teacher a side kick on the stomach. Soon, Riko is moping in the class. The substitute teacher called out to her not to sleep in class and does she like to listen to music that much. Riko sat up and looked at the teacher. He said that it is music class now so come in front and sing! The other students are tense but Riko stood up and walked in front.
In front, Riko happily smiled. While everyone including the teacher looked at her, Riko opened her mouth and happily sang. Narration: “At that time, I knew that ‘this girl is a natural female singer’, a girl who can sing throughout her life.” While walking home, Yuu suggested that they form a band together. Sou exclaimed that’s great and Riko would definitely be the lead singer. Riko said that she really wanted to be a guitarist and something like Crude Play. End flashback. Narration: “Sing, Riko. Make them realize your true strength.” With her band behind her, Riko holds the microphone. Soichiro watches in anticipation at the broadcast room. Riko breaks out a happy smile and opens her mouth to sing. Everyone looks on in surprise. In the broadcast room, someone mutters that it is a very astonishing voice. Kiyo snaps out of it and asks if the microphone is connected. The staff member says that it is. Soichiro thinks, “MST’s average viewing rate is 13%. The people currently watching this scene can be estimated to be 13 million people. Among these people, how many would notice that there is that power from that chibi [small girl]? The voice is perfect and rhythm[/tempo] is correct. But, talented people who only having those [qualities], can be found everywhere. What’s amazing about this girl is her guts[/boldness]. Possessing a strong heart[/spirit] that she can happily laugh and smile at this place. The first time I’ve met her, I heard her sing at the street with a high volume singing voice that comes out from her diaphragm [/abdominal cavity]. I thought that this girl could definitely stand at a large-scale stage and sing. The bigger the stage, the more sparkling her radiance will be. Riko, do you know? Those kinds of people are called STAR.” Soichiro watches on as Riko happily sings with Shinya accompanying her with a guitar [<- which is suppose to be Riko’s] In the Twitterverse, everyone is saying that it isn’t lip-sync and that voice is amazingly big and strong. Someone asks if there was a broadcasting problem. The others are raving over Shinya and there are those who are interested in buying the CD. At home, Reiko is really flustered over this development.
Back at MST, Sou proudly watches. He holds up his hand and starts clapping.  And, the audience joins in. Shibaken is also clapping. Holding her hands tight, Mari doesn’t want to. Then, a cameraman focuses the camera on her. She bites her lip. She puts on a smile and starts clapping with the others. And, at the end of the song, Riko jumps up and kicks off her shoes. The host thanks Mush&Co for the splendid performance. Then, it is an advertisement for Docomo by Crude Play. Watching the television, Riko’s father is also clapping. Then, he finds himself teary-eyed. He wipes his tear and says that Riko is really amazing. Sou’s father exclaims that it is such an amazing performance. Back at MST again, Riko watches the audience who are happily clapping and some are even teary-eyed. MST staff are also clapping and saying ‘good work’. Shibaken snaps out of it and goes into shock since that girl unexpectedly attracted more attention than him but she’s just a Mushroom. An onstage MST staff tells Mari to get ready. Mari says okay. Just as she is walking down to the stage, she notices that her legs are trembling. At the lounge, Miwako is crying from Riko’s performance. Also trembling, she quickly unlocks her smart phone and mutters, “What to do, what to do.” The people behind her are amazed over that newbie. On the phone, Miwako orders someone to quickly increase the CD production and bring out all of the CD stocks. “Please mobilize the clerks to participate in the CD’s marketing. It will sell big!” Then, Miwako recalls what Soichiro told her that because she doesn’t dare do unplanned things, that is why she is still a virgin at 25. After she hangs up, she is surprised that Aki is looking at her. Aki glumly says, “In the end, it will sell big, huh? Mush&Co. That really makes it.. difficult for me. With this, I don’t have a reason to seize her away from Shinya’s hand.” Sitting in front of the piano, Mari glumly thinks, a girl much younger than her, everyone should go die. Someone shouts that [broadcast will resume] 20 seconds after the CM[/adverstisment] will end. Mari looks at the piano sheets with Aki’s name on it as composer. She touches the piano sheets and thinks, “I know that there’s no need to be afraid. I’m really sorry for I’ll be uneasily performing this. No matter how that child sing with her utmost might, *a staff starts to countdown to 5 seconds* the victor has already been distinguished earlier on. *Mari starts to sing and play the piano* The song you’ve made is much better than their song. I only need to make everyone see this point, and that is enough.”
Comment: And Riko’s LIVE performance is a hit. She proves to everyone what she can do. It also helps that Shinya can also play LIVE as music accompaniment to Riko’s singing. Given Sou and Soichiro’s narration, it does seem that Riko can make singing her life’s occupation. Based on Aki’s reaction, it does seem that he cannot be happy for Riko’s success while she is under Shinya’s wing. That is the difficulty if they are ‘rivals’ in a certain field and Aki wanting to be the one to compose songs for Riko. But because of the deal between Aki and Soichiro regarding Mari, I think Shinya will still end up holding the shorter end of the stick or nothing at all.  From this chapter, it does seem that an excellent performance can boost the sales of a mediocre song. Hm..now that I think of it, in their CD, it should have been evident how powerful Riko’s voice is and yet, a lot of people seem unaware of it. It makes me wonder if the sales had indeed been harmed by Reiko’s rumors about the lip-synching. So, next would be, will a mediocre performance boost the sales of an excellent song? Regarding these two, I think having an excellent song will win in the long term since other singers would sing that song later on in the future and they can make it a hit. Scans by 红莲 & allwink汉化组

Quote of the day:
Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. ~ Ella Fitzgerald