She also composes and writes lyrics (for herself as well as other singers in I've Sound) for numerous other song collections. She frequently works with the producers I've Sound, and has contributed songs to numerous anime and video games including Onegai Teacher, Mahou Shoujo Tai Arusu, Onegai Twins, Ren'ai CHU!, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Hayate the Combat Butler, Colorful Kiss, Kannazuki no Miko, Starship Operators, Shakugan no Shana, and BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.
In 1999, she became a professional singer. Her first successful audition was with I've Sound, a team of producers using the talents of various female vocalists for their productions—best recognized for their many dating sim and eroge game soundtracks. Since then, she has performed opening and ending themes for a few anime and has gained significant recognition from her two I've Sound-related album releases. Her second album, Garasu no Kaze, released in June 2005 has been praised within multiple online communities. On October 13, 2005, she released her fourth maxi single, which featured a song from her Garasu no Kaze album, "421: A Will" and its B-side song called "Shuusou" (秋爽, The Refreshing Autumn Breeze), which is featured in her third album, Uzu-Maki.
Although not listed on her official Geneon website, KOTOKO has actually released four albums. Her very first album was called, Sora o Tobetara, which was released in 2000. Many of the tracks on this album were later re-recorded for her first I've Sound album, Hane (羽 -hane-, Feather), and was attributed as her first album. Her first I've Sound CD appearance was on the CD "Dear Feeling" (only released at "Comic Market 59".) with previous singer Aki. She then appeared on I've Girls Compilation Album Vol.3 "Disintegration", a series of albums with various songs from the I've Sound singers.
KOTOKO's first official performance in North America was her highly successful American concert debut at Anime Expo 2005, followed soon after by the KOTOKO Lax Tour. Now that her self-composed hybrid of pop and techno beats—sometimes pop—have crossed the Pacific, KOTOKO's lyrics have elevated her presence among thousands of North American J-pop/anime fans.
In 2009 she did the theme song for the Mamoru Oshii live-action movie Assault Girls. The song 蒼-iconoclast has also been featured as the opening theme song to the console version of the widely popular game Blazblue:Calamity Trigger.
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Personality: Quiet, likes making new friends, optimist, caring, emotional, perfectionist, romantic.
Interests: Movies, shopping (online), photography, flowers, darts, softball, dancing, collecting cute things.
I want to go to: Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Tuvalu, Bolivia, Nepal, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Australia.
Favorite food: Cherries, and particularly fond of strawberries, actually likes all fruit except melon, noodles, curry soup, avocado, cheese, milk, pudding, mint, cooked rice, chocolate, cookies, coffee.
Favorite things: Music, poetry, movies, the sky, the sea.
Favorite animals: Rabbits, turtles, sheeps, insects.
Dislikes: The dark, narrow spaces, a bad liar, rain, people without dreams.
Dreams: Go to Los Angeles, plant a lemon tree and build a house in the hills with a view on the sea.
went away
KOTOKO Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
遠い記憶へと思い馳せる (remember sweet memories)
陽炎の中たたずんだ 君が手を振れば
永久の時間も叶う気がしてた
呼びかける僕の声も雑踏の音に紛れて
伸ばす指に触れられない面影 探してた
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君だけがあの頃のまま
線路に咲いた白い花 そっと摘みとった君を
胸ポケットに入れて (summer grass was blowing in the wind)
本に挟んで やわらかな夏の香りごと
ずっと閉じ込めておけばよかった
目を開けて長い間 止まらない時間を見てた
思うたびに薄れてゆく幻 追いかけた
届かない夏はもう二度と
君の前髪揺らさない
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で変わることなく笑ってる
動かない運命なら初めから出逢わなかった
風のようにそこにあるとぼんやり信じてた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君がまだ笑いかけてる
海風に今も生きている
君を強く抱きしめるのに
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
君だけがあの頃のまま
The lyrics to KOTOKO's song "went away" evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a past that can never be fully recreated. The singer describes hearing faint ocean waves in the distance and being transported back to distant memories. They remember standing in a hazy heat, feeling like even eternal time could be theirs if only the person they were picturing would wave to them. However, even their voice calling out gets lost in the hustle and bustle around them, and they long to find even a hint of the person they're thinking of.
The second verse describes the singer picking a white flower growing on the train tracks and putting it in their pocket as a memento of the summer. They wish they could bottle up the soft scent of the season and keep it with them forever. However, time marches on relentlessly, and the singer watches as their memories slowly fade and blur. They lament that they'll never again experience the same summer that they associate with the person they're thinking of. They say that if their fate was already set not to meet, they wish they had never met at all. However, they still hold onto the hope that if they could return to the days of the gentle breezes, they would never let go of the person they're picturing. They end the song by saying that they still hold that person in their embrace, even as time dims the colors of their past.
Overall, "went away" is a wistful, melancholy song that captures the feeling of nostalgia and lost time. It emphasizes the bittersweet nature of memories and the desire to hold onto the past while knowing that it's impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
耳を澄ませば彼方から かすかな潮騒
When I listen closely, I can hear the faint sounds of the ocean from far away.
遠い記憶へと思い馳せる
I reminisce about distant memories.
陽炎の中たたずんだ 君が手を振れば
As I stood in a mirage, you waved your hand at me.
永久の時間も叶う気がしてた
I felt like even eternity was possible in that moment.
呼びかける僕の声も雑踏の音に紛れて
My voice calling out to you is drowned out by the noise of the crowds.
伸ばす指に触れられない面影 探してた
I searched for your shadow that I couldn't touch with my outstretched fingers.
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
If only I could go back to those days of gentle breeze.
決して手をはなさないのに
I would never let go of you.
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
Even now, I stand in this place that we can never leave.
君だけがあの頃のまま
You are the only one who remains the same as you were back then.
線路に咲いた白い花 そっと摘みとった君を
You gently picked the white flowers blooming by the railroad tracks.
胸ポケットに入れて
And put them in your pocket against your chest.
本に挟んで やわらかな夏の香りごと
You pressed them between the pages of a book, along with the soft scent of summer.
ずっと閉じ込めておけばよかった
I wish you could have kept them locked away forever.
目を開けて長い間 止まらない時間を見てた
I opened my eyes and watched the unstoppable flow of time for a long while.
思うたびに薄れてゆく幻 追いかけた
Every time I think about it, the illusion fades away, and I chased after it.
届かない夏はもう二度と
The summer that we can never reach again.
君の前髪揺らさない
Your bangs won't be swayed by the wind anymore.
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で変わることなく笑ってる
In the fading photo album, you still smile without any change.
動かない運命なら初めから出逢わなかった
If our fate was never meant to change, we shouldn't have met from the beginning.
風のようにそこにあるとぼんやり信じてた
I vaguely believed that you were there like the wind.
君がまだ笑いかけてる
You are still smiling at me.
海風に今も生きている
You are still alive in the ocean breeze.
君を強く抱きしめるのに
I want to hold you tightly in my arms.
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
In the album that is slowly fading away.
君だけがあの頃のまま
You are the only one who remains the same as you were back then.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kotoko, Kazuya Takase
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@day4690
【歌詞】
耳を澄ませば彼方から かすかな潮騒
遠い記憶へと思い馳せる
(remember sweet memories）
陽炎の中たたずんだ 君が手を振れば
永久の時間も叶う気がしてた
呼びかける僕の声も雑踏の音に紛れて
伸ばす指に触れられない面影 探してた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君だけがあの頃のまま……
線路に咲いた白い花
そっと摘みとった君を 胸ポケットに入れて
(summer grass was blowing in the wind）
本に挟んで やわらかな夏の香りごと
ずっと閉じ込めておけばよかった……
目を開けて長い間 止まらない時間を見てた
思うたびに薄れてゆく幻 追いかけた
届かない夏はもう二度と
君の前髪揺らさない
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
変わることなく笑ってる……
動かない運命なら初めから出逢わなかった
風のようにそこにあるとぼんやり信じてた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君がまだ笑いかけてる
海風に今も生きている
君を強く抱きしめるのに
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
君だけがあの頃のまま…
@user-zs4fx8vd4l
<went auay>
KOTOKO
【歌詞】
耳を澄ませば彼方から 微かな潮騒
遠い記憶へと想い馳せる
(remember sweet memorise)
陽炎(かげろう)の中たたずんだ
君が手を振れば
永久(とわ)の時間(とき)も
叶う気がしてた
呼びかける僕の声も
雑踏の音に紛れて
伸ばす指に 解れない面影 探してた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手を離さないのに
離れない今も この場所に立つ
君だけが あの頃のまま
線路に咲いた白い花 そっと
摘みとった 君を
胸のポケットに入れて
(Summet grass was
blowing in the wind)
本に挟んでやわらかな 夏の香りごと
ずっと 閉じ込めておけばよかった
目を開けて長い間
止まらない時間を見てた
思うたびに 薄れてゆく幻
追いかけてた
届かない 夏はもう二度と
君の前髪 揺らさない
色褪せて行くアルバムの中で
変わることなく 笑ってる
【間奏】
動かない運命なら初めから
出逢わなかった
風のようにそこにあると
ぼんやり信じてた
そよ風の日々に 戻れたら
決して手を離さないのに
離れない今も この場所に立つ
君をまだ 笑いかけてる
海風に今も 生きている
君を強く抱きしめるのに
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
君だけが あの頃のまま
【END】
@anikbhowmick5033
Mimi wo sumaseba kanata kara kasuka na shiosai
Tooi kioku e to omoihaseru
(Remember Sweet Memories)
Kagerou no naka tatazunda kimi ga te wo fureba
Towa no toki mo kanau ki ga shiteta
Yobikakeru boku no koe mo zattou no oto ni magirete
Nobasu yubi ni furerarenai omokage sagashiteta
Soyokaze no hibi ni modoretara
Kesshite te wo hanasanai no ni
Hanarenai ima mo kono basho ni tatsu
Kimi dake ga ano goro no mama
Senro ni saita shiroi hana sotto tsumitotta kimi wo
Mune no poketto ni irete
(Summer Grass was Blowing in the Wind)
Hon ni hasande yawaraka na natsu no kaorigoto
Zutto tojikomete okeba yokatta
Me wo akete nagaiaida tomaranai jikan wo miteta
Omoutabi ni usurete yuku maboroshi oikaketa
Todokanai natsu wa mou nidoto kimi no maegami yurasanai
Iroasete yuku arubamu no naka de
Kawaru koto naku waratteru...
Ugokanai unmei nara hajime kara deawanakatta
Kaze no you ni soko ni aru to bonyari shinjiteta
Soyokaze no hibi ni modoretara
Kesshite te wo hanasanai no ni
Hanarenai ima mo kono basho ni tatsu
Kimi ga mada waraikaketeru
Umikaze ni ima mo ikite iru kimi wo tsuyoku dakishimeru no ni
Iroasete yuku arubamu no naka de
Kimi dake ga ano goro no mama...
@user-op8hw1qz4y
この曲を初めて聞いたのは、2005年の東京厚生年金会館でのライブでした。
当時はまだゲームの付属ディスクにしか収録されておらず、知名度はほとんど無かったと記憶しております。
そのライブ中にたった1回。
たった1回聞いただけでこの曲は私のマイベストとなり、今でもこうして聞いては色褪せない記憶として、思い出に残っています。
@day4690
【歌詞】
耳を澄ませば彼方から かすかな潮騒
遠い記憶へと思い馳せる
(remember sweet memories）
陽炎の中たたずんだ 君が手を振れば
永久の時間も叶う気がしてた
呼びかける僕の声も雑踏の音に紛れて
伸ばす指に触れられない面影 探してた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君だけがあの頃のまま……
線路に咲いた白い花
そっと摘みとった君を 胸ポケットに入れて
(summer grass was blowing in the wind）
本に挟んで やわらかな夏の香りごと
ずっと閉じ込めておけばよかった……
目を開けて長い間 止まらない時間を見てた
思うたびに薄れてゆく幻 追いかけた
届かない夏はもう二度と
君の前髪揺らさない
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
変わることなく笑ってる……
動かない運命なら初めから出逢わなかった
風のようにそこにあるとぼんやり信じてた
そよ風の日々に戻れたら
決して手をはなさないのに
離れない今もこの場所に立つ
君がまだ笑いかけてる
海風に今も生きている
君を強く抱きしめるのに
色褪せてゆくアルバムの中で
君だけがあの頃のまま…
@user-pk1yd8dp1o
色褪せていくアルバムの中で、君だけがあの頃のまま
この歌詞ヤバい…
@115imas
懐かしくて落ち着く感じ
間違いなく名曲
@MrChenweixing
KOTOKOで大好きな曲の一つ。
「色あせていくアルバムの中で 君だけがあの頃のまま」という歌詞が素晴らしいです
@evandro193610
onajiku
@user-tz7pw1td4s
KOTOKOさんを初めて知ったのがこの歌。そっから惚れましたね歌声に。知らない方々にもこの歌を聴いてほしい。
@umi5286
10年前の曲は今でも神
@earlgrey6788
kotokoの音楽のなかで一番大好き
@pajero7557
メロディーが好きすぎる