Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, styliz… Read Full Bio ↴Asian Kung-Fu Generation (アジアン・カンフー・ジェネレーション Ajian Kanfū Jenerēshon, stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi. Starting out as a college band, Asian Kung-Fu Generation released a series of independent EPs featuring lyrics mostly sung in English. In 2002, they released their major-label EP debut Hōkai Amplifier, from that point singing their lyrics in Japanese. The band's musical style is influenced by seminal Western alternative rock acts as well as their own local Japanese indie-rock and punk scene. Their songs incorporate various aspects of the genres, most typically expressing fast tempos and prominent power chord guitar riffs in addition to rhythmic groove and emotional lyrics. Despite the indie nature of their music, the band has enjoyed worldwide commercial success in addition to critical acclaim. Asian Kung-Fu Generation has been cited as one of the best, most balanced modern rock bands to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.

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".

Last Scene
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

青い綺麗な空から
梅雨掻き消して最後が訪れた

線路沿いに咲く花
頬つたって涙が垂れ落ちたんだ
嗚呼
なんとなく

君が出した合図で
夜を抜け出して何かが変わればなあぁ
なんとなく

壊れた受話器と進まない話で
大事なところで塞ぐ僕らの
歪な形でハマらない想いも
何処まで走れば白くなるかな

そっと目を伏せて
逃げ込んだはずのワンダーランド
遠くで遮断機の途切れる音
鳴る「サヨナラ」

そっと目を伏せて
逃げ込んだはずのワンダーランド
失くした想いも広がって弾ける
さよなら wow

溶けるほど澄んだ空

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's song "Last Scene" depicts the feeling of closure and finality. The song's opening lines, "From a blue and beautiful sky, the end has come to wash away the rainy season" sets the somber mood. The image of the pretty sky that washes away the gloom and the anticipation of the end signify the weight of the moment. Along the railway tracks, flowers bloom, and tears stream down the singer's cheek for no definite reason. The repetition of the phrase "なんとなく" or "Nantonaku," meaning 'somehow' or 'for some reason,' emphasizes the idea that the emotions are not entirely understood.

The song then talks about the singer and the subject's conversation that is stagnating and how they're at an important moment of the relationship. "With our broken receiver and halted conversations, we plug up the twisted forms of feelings that don't fit. How far can we run before it turns white?" The 'twisted forms' and the mention of the color white imply that the relationship is not in a perfect state but hoping that it might eventually blossom. In the end, the song circles back to the image of the wonderland where they tried to escape, and the sound of the barriers signals goodbye. The line, "Lost emotions flying out, exploding," and the repeating refrain, "Goodbye" indicate that the tension in the relationship is becoming unbearable, and the end has come.

Line by Line Meaning

青い綺麗な空から
The beautiful blue sky, clear and bright

梅雨掻き消して最後が訪れた
The end comes to wash away the rainy season

線路沿いに咲く花
Flowers blooming along the railway tracks

頬つたって涙が垂れ落ちたんだ
Tears flowed down my cheeks

嗚呼なんとなく
Ah, somehow

君が出した合図で
At your signal

夜を抜け出して何かが変わればなあぁ
If we escape the night, maybe something will change

なんとなく
Somehow

壊れた受話器と進まない話で
With a broken phone and a stagnant conversation

大事なところで塞ぐ僕らの
We block our feelings at the most important moment

歪な形でハマらない想いも
Our twisted feelings don't fit together