Sakamoto Maaya (坂本真綾, born March 31, 1980 in Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan) is a J… Read Full Bio ↴Sakamoto Maaya (坂本真綾, born March 31, 1980 in Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese voice actress (seiyuu) and singer. Known for her clear voice, and working as a voice-over actress for foreign movies and TV commercials from the age of 8, her life reached a turning point at the age of 16 when she played in her first animated series The Vision of Escaflowne, as the lead female character. She also sang the opening song, which became her debut single in 1996. Since then she has performed many other insert songs for various TV anime series, for which she has become notably popular.

She is also known for her close work with Yoko Kanno (菅野よう子), a well-known producer and composer, since the time of her debut until 2004. They came back working together again in 2008.

On August 13, Maaya announced on her website that she married fellow seiyuu 鈴村健一 (Suzumura Kenichi) on August 8, 2011.

Cloud 9
坂本真綾 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

声が聞こえる
泣き止んだ空に響く声が
心の的射抜いた

君がいた夏
追いかけ冬の終わりを行く
導いてくれるのは
あの日聞こえた君の言葉

吹雪の匂い
倍音に混ざった高周波

思い出はたくさんあるけど
振り向けばそれだけ遅れてしまいそうだから
闇雲にその道を進んだ
明日を祈りながら

限りない果てしないかけがえない夢に
駆り立てるのは眠れる野性なんだ
アテのない飾らない救いのない日々を
歩き続ける
僕らは旅の子供だから

導かれているのか
何かから逃げ続けているのか
(終わりなき世界)
いつか辿り着いた時
夢の続きが見れるだろう

変わらない怖れない僕たちの強さ
絶望からの始まり手にしたから
忘れない奪えない遠い日の記憶
小さな骨が残されてる尻尾

限りない果てしないかけがえない夢に
駆り立てるのは眠れる野性なんだ
頂上登りつめたクライマーのように
至福の場所へいつか辿り着きたい
歩き続けよう
僕らは旅の子供だから

声が聞こえる

泣き止んだ空の彼方で
君が待っている

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 坂本真綾's song Cloud 9 are poetic and full of meaning. The song begins by stating that a voice can be heard echoing through the calm sky after a period of crying. This invoked voice has shot straight to the target of the heart. The song goes on to describe a journey that began in the summer with someone special and continued through winter with that person's words guiding the way. Memories of the journey are abundant, but the desire to progress and not get left behind keeps the focus ahead. The path has been taken blindly, with hope for a brighter tomorrow kept alive.

The lyrics go on to ask whether the journey is being guided by something, or if there is a continued escape from something else. The endless world of the unknown is the backdrop to the journey, but there is faith that the dream will continue. The fearlessness and strength of the travelers originate from the beginning of their ascent from despair. The memories of a distant past are unforgettable and serve as small reminders of the journey that has been taken. The destination is unknown, but the journey will continue with faith in a brighter tomorrow.

Line by Line Meaning

声が聞こえる
I can hear a voice

泣き止んだ空に響く声が
A voice echoes in the sky that has stopped crying

心の的射抜いた
It pierced my heart

君がいた夏
The summer when you were there

追いかけ冬の終わりを行く
I chased after it and went to the end of winter

導いてくれるのは
What guides me is

あの日聞こえた君の言葉
The words you heard that day

吹雪の匂い
The smell of snowstorm

倍音に混ざった高周波
High frequency mixed with harmonics

思い出はたくさんあるけど
There are many memories, but

振り向けばそれだけ遅れてしまいそうだから
If I look back, I might be late