Anemone / アネモネ: “Anemone”
Today we have track 7 from Oku Hanako’s 2009 album, BIRTHDAY. I had meant to post this months ago, but it seems fitting that I managed to finish it shortly after my copy of the album arrived.
When I first encountered this song, I wondered why Oku Hanako would write a song about sea anemones. The music sounded interesting enough that she could have been singing about them. It was only recently that I found out that “anemone” actually refers to a flower and that sea anemones were named after it for their colourful appearance. So here we are with another flower song.
In the Japanese language of flowers, anemone symbolizes a number of things based on its colour. According to hanakotoba.com, red anemones say “I love you”; white anemones symbolize sincerity, anticipation and hope; purple says “I trust and wait for you”. More generally, the anemone symbolizes forsaken love.
I translated the lyrics for you today, which you can find in the usual spot at the end of the post. Admittedly, I’m a little lost as to its meaning. Sure, I see a reference to waiting, which is appropriate for what the flower means, but otherwise, I don’t really know what’s going on. And what does it mean to “shine grey”? Grey, of course, is in contrast to anemones, which are known for their colours, but that’s about as much as I can pick out. The word “anemone” also doesn’t appear anywhere, so I guess it relies more heavily on the flower’s symbolism (much like with Garnet). If anyone can give us insights on any of the lyrics, please leave a comment! Translation notes are also available.
Anemone- Oku Hanako **Sub español + Letra romaji** by Azura Allazjward Kurosu [YouTube]
The song starts off very mellow, with just Oku Hanako and an electric piano. Synth drums come in after the first line to provide a bit more energy. When the chorus comes, she’s joined by a multitrack accompaniment of herself. The result is a very crystal, very clear sound, yet still with a bit of warmth. It’s an unusual but interesting arrangement.
Her singing is full; you can tell that she’s singing from her diaphragm. The reverberation as well adds a sense of distance to the song.
From a musical standpoint, I thought the song was in an unusual mode, perhaps because of the reverberation, or maybe because of the accompaniment, but it turns out that it’s just A major.
The song is preceded in the album by “Saigo no Koi” / 最後の恋, which has a soft but solid hikigatari sound. The song is followed in the album by “Aoi Heya” / 青い部屋, which has a very strong hikigatari sound. In contrast, “Anemone” has a very synthesized sound.
Looking back at the rest of her songs, I don’t think there’s anything quite like “Anemone”. The most similar one I can think of is “blue green” from her 2014 album, “Kimi to Boku no Michi” / 君と僕の道, but it isn’t quite the same. “Anemone” is a unique sound for Oku Hanako, and not at all a bad one at that.
Thoughts on Oku Hanako 