Arigatou and the Boku Series
The Boku Series
I had a few days off work so I had the time to complete an old plan: marathoning the Boku Series. It took much less than I expected.
Those three dramas don't have complicated themes, elaborate plot twists or complex characters. They talk about simple stories that can happen anywhere and to anyone, simple feelings that anyone can easily relate to. But despite that simplicity and no big "events" happening, they can make you think deeply about a lot of issues, and they have no moments where the pace feels slow or monotonous. They are dramas that can change the way you view things.
I can understand now how important those dramas were for Tsuyoshi and for smap. They captured the essence of the messages that are very recurrent in smap's works and way of doing things: finding the small things that really matter and cherishing them, doing what you can do at the moment, never judging, living your life as it is. Sekai hana, Arigatou and Wonderful Life were of course very fitting themes, but "Let It Be" could have been also a general theme for those dramas.
I also love the fact that Kohinata Fumiyo and Osugi Ren were also on all three dramas with Tsuyoshi. The three of them did an amazing job.
Arigatou
I'm really happy Arigatou was chosen as a theme for the TBS Olympics. This song is very special to me. It's usually impossible for me to choose my most favourite smap songs but in times where I absolutely have to give one answer, Arigatou is the one I would choose. I'm taking this chance to talk about why I love this song so much.
- First, the message and the lyrics. "Arigatou" is such a beautiful and important word. "Chiisana shiawase de ii", "Ookina aijou dake de
Bokura wa kitto tsuyoku narerun da" "Wake mo naku hito wa sabishiku naru kedo hitoribocchi de wa nain da Ookina sonzai ga kitto sukutte kureru kara". I could quote the whole song here. Those lyrics are a message that everyone want to deliver to the ones they love. They're also a message from smap to the fans. But, in addition to that, they became a message from the fans to smap.
- The melody and the distribution of the lines. I love the parts where the lines overlap. I remember the members talking about singing smap songs on karaoke and how arigatou is the most confusing because they don't know which part to sing. It's a song that can only be sung by 5nin smap
- The CD cover designed by Shingo with the ants representing SMAP. A long time ago, I remember that I was creeped out by the pv the first time I watched it XD But now I love it (especially after reading "The Trilogy of the Ants" by Werber, lol)
- The performances. The live performances are a big part of why I love this song so much. The song was performed in important moments of the group's history and it has a lot of memories attached to it:
- The performance during the Tsuyoshi come back sxs episode
- The performance on smap ganbarimasu 2012 after the letters relay. Those letters, especially the one from Nakai to the fans, gave the song a whole new meaning. The part where Shingo points to the fans AND the members while singing his line <3
- The performance on Iitomo for Tamori. I think that time was the one where the message was the most "personal", from smap to one very important person to them.
- The performance on the SMAP27 non-stop live. It was the moment where Nakai disappeared backstage. I'll never forget Shingo's face while singing his line. Also the moment after the live ended and the fans were shouting "Arigatou" for the group
I'm sure the song will gain more and more memories and meanings from now on.