The four of them came together in the music club of their university in 1996; for Gotoh, Kita, and Yamada, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was the first band they ever formed.
After a while, they began to perform at the school and in the local Yokohama area. Interestingly, their first songs were all written in English and, in fact, their first independent 6 track album (released in 2000) was entirely sung in English. The CDs were sold at concerts and over the internet.
In 2001, beginning with "YMD" they held many self-planned events at Yokohama's CLUB24.
Once "Konayuki," the first song in which they used Japanese lyrics, was completed, they sent copies to all the independent shows on the FM stations, and were consequently able to get their music played for the first time on FM radio.
After that, they released their second CD of original works, this time using Japanese lyrics. It achieved great success within the region and at all the Live Houses.
From this time on, starting at Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Kichijouji and other places, they started putting on shows famed for their energy.
In 2002, they submitted a track to the Underflow Records Compilation CD. In November of the same year, they released "Houkai Amplifier," their first Mini Album to be produced professionally. This album, which would decide their future, debuted in the number 1 spot of Highline Records weekly charts, and also made it to the number 35 spot in the Oricon Indies Chart.
On April 4, 2003, "Houkai Amplifier" was re-released under Ki/oon Records. That summer, they appeared at FUJI ROCK (on the "ROOKIE A GO GO" stage), and at SUMMER SONIC '03 in Osaka.
Following their October 16, 2003 single "Kimi to Iu Hana," their first full album "Kimi Tsunagi Five M" was released on November 19.
From January 19 to February 25 2004, they went on the "five nano seconds" tour. All shows immediately sold out and were a massive success.
In 2004, their first proper single "Siren" and their second single, the iconic "Loop & Loop," were released, the former on April 14th and the latter on May 19th.
Their self-planned event ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION presents "NANO-MUGEN FEST" took place on July 1st at Nihon Budoukan and, that summer, they appeared live at festivals in areas all over the country. On August 4th, their new single "Rewrite" was released, followed by "Kimi no Machi Made" on September 23rd.
On October 20, 2004, their long-awaited new album "Sol-fa" was released and this really pushed the band to the forefront of the J-Rock scene. Then, on November 2nd, they started their second national tour: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Tour Suihai No!
June 8 2005 saw the release of "NANO-MUGEN COMPILATION," an album composed of songs from various acts, both Japanese and English-language alike. Included was their first single after "Sol-fa": "Blackout." Later, the band released their first real single in over a year; "Blue Train."
In 2006, the band released another single "World Apart," followed by their third album, "Fanclub." A month later, they released their latest album "Feedback File," which includes live versions of some of their most popular tracks.
Their song "Haruka Kanata" was chosen to be a theme song for the anime series "Naruto," and the popular single "Rewrite" was selected as a theme song to the hit anime series "Fullmetal Alchemist." The song "Aru Machi no Gunjou" was used in the animated movie "Tekkon Kinkreet," and the song "After Dark" was used as a theme song for the animated series "BLEACH." The song "Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat" was used as the opening theme for the anime "The Tatami Galaxy".
リライト
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
存在の証明が他にないから
掴んだはずの僕の未来は
「尊厳」と「自由」で矛盾してるよ
歪んだ残像を消し去りたいのは
自分の限界をそこに見るから
自意識過剰な僕の窓には
消してリライトして
くだらない超幻想
忘れられぬ存在感を
起死回生リライトして
意味のない想像も
君を成す原動力全身全霊を
くれよ
芽生えてた感情切って泣いて
所詮ただ凡庸知って泣いて
腐った心を、薄汚い嘘を
消してリライトして
くだらない超幻想
忘れられぬ存在感を
起死回生リライトして
意味のない想像も
君を成す原動力全身全霊を
くれよ
The lyrics to ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's "リライト" ("Rewrite") speaks to the desire to express and rid oneself of inner conflict and limitations in order to find purpose and define oneself. The first stanza begins with the desire to release pent up emotions, as the only means of proof of one's existence is in the struggle to express oneself. The contradiction between nobility and freedom in the singer's future is a representation of the internal struggle they face.
In the second stanza, the singer wishes to erase distorted reflections, as they only serve as a reminder of their own limitations. The singer is self-aware, perhaps overly so, and this is represented by the old calendar that hangs in their window without a date from the previous year. The chorus presents the desire to rewrite and forget mundane fantasies, while holding onto the unforgettable sense of existence.
The final stanza speaks to the cutting off and crying over the budding feelings, realizing they are just mundane, and crying over a corroded heart and filthy lies that need forgetting. The chorus reprises again, symbolizing the necessity to rewrite, but this time it speaks to the importance of imagination as the driving force that is necessary for the singer's survival.
Line by Line Meaning
軋んだ想いを吐き出したいのは
I want to express my pent-up emotions
存在の証明が他にないから
Because I have no other proof of my existence
掴んだはずの僕の未来は
The future that I thought I had grasped
「尊厳」と「自由」で矛盾してるよ
Is contradictory with 'dignity' and 'freedom'
歪んだ残像を消し去りたいのは
I want to erase the distorted afterimage
自分の限界をそこに見るから
Because I see my own limitations there
自意識過剰な僕の窓には
On the window of my narcissistic self
去年のカレンダー、日付がないよ
Last year's calendar has no dates
消してリライトして
Erase and rewrite
くだらない超幻想
Silly, unrealistic fantasy
忘れられぬ存在感を
Unforgettable sense of existence
起死回生リライトして
Revive and rewrite
意味のない想像も
Even meaningless imagination
君を成す原動力全身全霊を
All of my being that drives you forward
くれよ
Please give it to me
芽生えてた感情切って泣いて
Cut off the budding emotions and cry
所詮ただ凡庸知って泣いて
Just knowing that I'm mediocre and crying
腐った心を、薄汚い嘘を
My corrupted heart, my filthy lies
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mood954
Romaji lyrics if anybody wanna sing along:
Kishin da omoi wo hakidashitai no wa
Sonzai no shoumei ga ta ni nai kara
Tsukan da hazu no boku no mirai wa
"Songen" to "jiyuu" de nujun shiteru yo
Yugan da zazou wo keshi saritai no wa
Jibun no genkai wo soko ni miru kara
Jiishiki kajou no boku no mado ni wa
Kyonen no KARENDAA hidzuke ga nai yo
Keshite RIRAITO shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurarenu sonzai kan wo
Kishikaisei RIRAITO shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu dendouryoku
Zenshin zenrei wo kure yo
Mebaete ta kanjou kitte kuyan de
Shosen tada bonyou shitte naite
Kusatta kokoro wo
Usugitanai uso wo
Keshite RIRAITO shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurarenu sonzai kan wo
Kishikaisei RIRAITO shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu dendouryoku
Zenshin zenrei wo kure yo
@user-wi3lh9cy7s
//Letra
Estos pensamientos de verdad quiero borrar,
si no existe prueba de que mi vida valdrá,
éste es el futuro que hoy tengo que llevar,
tan contradictorio realidad o libertad.
Queriendo tan sólo las imágenes guardar,
para que pueda ver hasta dónde puedo dar,
miré en la ventana toda mi vitalidad,
en el calendario no hay fechas créelo...
... Borré, Reescribiré ... la inútil fantasía,
el sentimiento que quedó...
... Renacer, Reescribiré ...
la poca imaginación
la fuerza que motiva para el corazón,
corazón, woh! ...
Después de haber frenado todo lo que sentí
después de darlo todo yo sin fuerzas lloré,
se mata mi corazón...
por la asquerosa traición...
... Borré, Reescribiré ... la inútil fantasía,
el sentimiento que quedó...
... Renacer, Reescribiré ...
la poca imaginación
la fuerza que motiva para el corazón,
corazón, woh! ... !
... Oh!, Yeah!, Yeah!, Yeah!
@yurievvellyn8731
Lyric:
Kishinda omoi wo hakidashitai no wa
Sonzai no shoumei ga hoka ni nai kara
Tsukanda hazu no boku no mirai wa
"Songen" to "jiyuu" de mujun shiteru yo
Yuganda zanzou wo keshisaritai no wa
Jibun no genkai wo soko ni miru kara
Jiishikikajou na boku no mado ni wa
Kyonen no calender hizuke ga nai yo
Keshite rewrite shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurareru sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei rewrite shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku
Zenshinzenrei wo kure yo
Mebaeteta kanjou kitte
Naite shosen tada
Bonyou shitte naite
Kusatta kokoro wo
Usugitanai uso wo
Keshite rewrite shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurarenu sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei rewrite shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku
Zenshinzenrei wo kure yo
@FruhMambruh
LYRICS
Kishinda omoi wo hakidashitai no wa
Sonzai no shoumei ga hoka ni nai kara
Tsukanda hazu no boku no mirai wa
Songen to jiyuu de mujun shiteru yo
Yuganda zanzou wo keshisaritai no wa
Jibun no genkai wo soko ni miru kara
Jiishiki kajouna boku no mado ni wa
Kyonen no CALENDAR, hizuke ga nai yo
Keshite REWRITE shite
Kudaranai chou-gensou
Wasuraren' sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei REWRITE shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku zenshin zenrei wo
Kure yo
Mebaeteta kanjou kitte naite
Shosen tada bonyou shitte naite
Kusatta kokoro wo, usu-gitanai uso wo
Keshite REWRITE shite
Kudaranai chou-genzou
Wasuraren' sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei REWRITE shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku zenshin zenrei wo
@forsaken-to
Kishinda omoi wo hakidashitai no wa
Sonzai no shoumei ga hoka ni nai kara
Tsukanda hazu no boku no mirai wa
"Songen" to "jiyuu" de mujun shiteru yo
Yuganda zanzou wo keshisaritai no wa
Jibun no genkai wo soko ni miru kara
Jiishikikajou na boku no mado ni wa
Kyonen no calender hizuke ga nai yo
Keshite rewrite shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurareru sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei rewrite shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku
Zenshinzenrei wo kure yo
Mebaeteta kanjou kitte
Naite shosen tada
Bonyou shitte naite
Kusatta kokoro wo
Usugitanai uso wo
Keshite rewrite shite
Kudaranai chou gensou
Wasurarenu sonzaikan wo
Kishikaisei rewrite shite
Imi no nai souzou mo
Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku
Zenshinzenrei wo kure yo
@Emezie
Who-hoo! They finally released these from Region-lock purgatory!
Listen while you can!
@duckling1305
Emezie Okorafor I was wondering how I didn’t see this sooner!
@izeecial
Dad what are you doing here
@ENRIQUEARUIZ-vw3de
Where u from?
@enderspider15
Didn't expect to see you here while reliving some animu openings from my childhood. It's cool to see an awesome creator on a slightly more obscure video.
@n.xavierl.6808
Hey Emezie, wasn’t expecting you here... cool man.
@sarahl9398
Wow...this makes me feel like a teenager all over again. Was in my mid teen years in high school, feeling infinite. Now I'm 32, but I still love coming back to this 😭
@laterskaters7788
lol i know right im turning 32 in couple months
@DoctorKhaos
I feel you bro I'm turning 31 this year lol
@Bashy776
Ahah same and I'm 32 too