Kamenashi Kazuya by Onuki Ami of PUFFY
See the end to find my thoughts on the song's meaning, as well as some other stuff, like Kame's TV Guide solo interview (Mikansei na part)
(The translator's notes are planned to be updated as soon as any new information becomes available, such as interviews and so on, about a song or live performance)
⊱ ────── {⋅English⋅} ────── ⊰
Kamenashi Kazuya - Incomplete / Unfinished
Lyrics by Onuki Ami of PUFFY; Composed and arranged by UTA
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I'm always short of words
You're always pondering
Until the sunrise colors creaking
Pathetic, unreliable, that's what I am to you
Even the shadow I wanted to grope for could not be saved, I feel like crying
(I feel) Incomplete
And the ambiguity of our relationship
I wish there was the right solution
Your reaction was mixed (as for) my reaction
I don't know what I want
I want to move on (or) I want to retreat
Everytime Anytime Don't ever look back (or)
Don't ever go away anymore
I can see only you, but I can't protect it, I don't like myself
Hand in hand, entwining and clinging, let's sleep
Being incomplete / In this unfinished (state)
And the elation of wanting to see you
I wish I was just imagining things
Your reaction was hackneyed (as for) my reaction
I don't know what you want
And the ambiguity of our relationship
I wish there was the right solution
Your reaction was mixed (as for) my reaction
We don't know what we want
It's (we're) incomplete / It's unfinished
⊱ ────── {⋅. Kanji & Romaji.⋅} ────── ⊰
「未完成な」亀梨和也 (KAT-TUN)
作詞:大貫亜美
作曲:UTA
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BokuはwaいつもItsumo言葉Kotoba足らずTarazuでde
君KimiはwaいつもItsumo考えKangae込んでkonde
朝焼けAsayake軋んだKishinda
君Kimiにniはwa頼りないTayorinai情けないNasakenai僕Bokuなんだnanda
影Kageすらsura探したくてSagashitakute救えなくてSukuenakute泣きiそうNaksouでde
未完成Mikanseiなna
曖昧Aimaiだったdatta関係性Kankeiseiもmo
正解Seikaiだったらdattaraいいiiのnoにni
チグハグChiguhaguだったdatta君Kimiのno Reaction僕Bokuのno Reaction
I don't know what I want
僕Bokuはwa前Maeにni進みたいSusumitai走りたいHashiritai
everytime anytime振り返らないFurikaeranaiでde
もうMouいなくならないinakunaranaiでde
君Kimiしかshika守れないMamorenaiすきSukiじゃないJanai映らないUtsuranai
手Teとto手teはwa絡めてKarameteくっついてKuttsuite眠ろうNemurou
未完成Mikanseiでde
会いたくAitakuなったnatta高揚感Kouyoukanもmo
妄想Mousouだったらdattaraいいiiのにnoni
ツキナミTsukinamiだったdatta君Kimiのno Reaction僕Bokuのno Reaction
I don't know what you want
曖昧Aimaiだったdatta関係性Kankeiseiもmo
正解Seikaiだったらdattaraいいiiのにnoni
チグハグChiguhaguだったdatta君Kimiのno Reaction僕Bokuのno Reaction
We don't know what we want
未完成Mikanseiだda
⊱ ────── {⋅. t/n notes .⋅} ────── ⊰
Since I've been working on this for a while, I'm still posting my translation + my thoughts on Kame's solo song "Mikansei na", even though our dear LnF posted their translation just now too. Mine and LnF’s perspectives seem slightly different though, and I believe that every interpretation is always worth reading. Even my Japanese mutuals consider this lyrics pretty abstract. So ultimately everything comes down to one's own interpretation. So please read LnF’s version
too.
Big thanks to UedaNoYome for helping me understand the song better too! ♡
And here is my interpretation:
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I still have not yet decided which version of the title fits the meaning better. Incomplete or Unfinished. It feels like they both kind of fit, but each in their own way. Or better yet, if together. I'm more inclined towards the first option though. because its meaning is wider: Incomplete; not complete; not filled up; not finished; not having all its parts, or not having them all adjusted; imperfect; defective
If we were to translate each kanji in Mikansei 未完成 it would be something like not yet/ perfect/ become or not yet/ completion (end)/ reached. So I think I understand where my Japanese mutual was coming from when she said it could also be interpreted as a "Halfway". Because it is like those two are on their halfway between the end and the perfection.
It seems like those two people stuck in this messed up relationship, both still not knowing what they want to do about that. So they're sort of equal in that sense? It is both an incomplete (as imperfect) relationship and also unfinished one. It's too incomplete to be a normal relationship, but they're not ready to finish it yet, too.
He's always tongue-tied, cannot find the right words, and the other party (let's call them "she" for for convenience' sake, although there is no indication of gender in the lyrics) is always pondering too much, and that goes on until the sunrise colors (morning glow) creaked (grated; grinded; jarred; rasped). This is a literal translation. Quite an odd choice of words that confused me so much that I stuck on this part for a while. I only know that sometimes the sky at sunrise looks like it has “cracked”, but never “creaked”, so I don’t know. My assumption is that the sunrise colors are probably rather “clashed”? Anyway, I think it means that those two were unable to find any solution on their relationship even until the sunrise "creaked".
He still wanted to search for (to grope for) at least a phantom, a shadow, of something that couldn't be saved. Their relationship I guess? If it's something that couldn't be saved it should be finished, but he still wants to look for even a shadow of it, that's why it's still unfinished. He considers himself worthless to her, so he feels like crying. Feels incomplete (imperfect) Actually, "Mikansei na" may also be used to mean "Immature" sometimes, so maybe he even feels immature, since he's thinking that she can't rely on him.
He wishes there was the right solution (answer/choice) on the ambiguity of their relationship. But her reactions are mixed/ confusing him. And as for him, he doesn't know what he wants. Whether it’s to move on, which means to break up, or to retreat, which means to save the relationship. If he wants to never look back again, or he wants to never leave her again anymore. He doesn't know.
He can see no one but her, means he loves her. But he can't even protect her. And he doesn't like himself because of that. But still even if it's the morning already, he wanna sleep holding hands with her, entwined and clinging to each other. Still staying in this unfinished incomplete state for now.
But even when he feels elated to see her, he wishes it was only his imagination, but her reaction seems overused (stale/hackneyed), to him. He doesn't know what she wants. He wishes there was the right solution on the ambiguity of their relationship. But for now, they both still don't know what they want. Their relationship is so incomplete but it's unfinished yet, so... it kind of leaves the ending open.
Some repetitiveness in music and lyrics, especially that instrumental part, seems to me also emphasize this idea that these two keep going in circles unable to make a decision and to cut a knot. And that's it for now :)
⊱ ────── {⋅. ♪ .⋅} ────── ⊰
Kame's TV Guide solo interview (his solo song Mikansei na part)
Kamenashi Kazuya's TVGuide solo interview
"My solo "Incomplete/Unfinished" was composed and arranged by UTA, who is an friend of mine, and the lyrics were written by another my friend, Onuki Ami. UTA's music mostly feels like it has the boldness and fearlessness of the times, but also has a very clean and delicate world view. Since it was UTA-kun who was creating the music for me, I was initially intended to write the lyrics myself. When I was already getting a direction, but hadn't written it into shape yet, I happened to have a conversation with Ami-san, and it turned into her writing it for me. However, since she also agreed to do it in casual conversation and we were pressed for time, I shared with her the direction I had already roughly thought about, and then Ami-san wrote the lyrics for me based on that. The recording was made by the 3 of us, after adjusting our schedules we pushed forward with our ideas. It's been a real pleasure to exchange ideas on the music together with 2 people who have a strong relationship with me in my personal live. Since this song was made by 2 people who know what I'm like in private, did they add elements of my usual self to it - no comments lol. I'll leave that to the imagination of you listeners. However, as I don't often use such handsome and beautiful language, please forgive me for that as well. Then, since I haven't danced for any of my recent solo songs, I'm thinking of doing a more intense dance performance this time. Also, since the song is only 2 minutes and 56 seconds long, we are discussing the performance before and after the song right now. Please look forward to it!"
Onuki Ami, Kamenashi Kazuya, UTA