Their debut single Blurry Eyes released in 1994 was used as the opening theme for the animated TV show DNA². In late 1996, L'Arc~en~Ciel gained worldwide attention for the first time after the release of their fourth album, True. This album includes the single the Fourth Avenue Cafe, which was used as an ending theme for the popular animated TV show Rurouni Kenshin. However, drummer sakura was arrested for drug possession and consequently all L'Arc~en~Ciel merchandise was removed from store shelves. The release of their single the Fourth Avenue Cafe was canceled and the song was immediately removed from the TV series.
sakura left the band in 1997, and former DIE IN CRIES drummer yukihiro replaced him for the REINCARNATION tour that year, subsequently serving as a support member for their first single after the incident, 虹 (Niji). Eventually, yukihiro officially joined the band and released the album HEART in 1998.
After the release of their eighth album REAL in 2000, L'Arc~en~Ciel went on a hiatus, releasing only compilation albums aside from their 2001 single, Spirit dreams inside -another dream-, the theme for the CG-animated Final Fantasy movie. During this time, each member engaged in solo projects: yukihiro with the band acid android, ken and former L'Arc~en~Ciel drummer sakura with SONS OF ALL PUSSYS, HYDE as a solo artist, and tetsu as TETSU69. On March 31st, 2004, L'Arc~en~Ciel released SMILE, their first album in four years.
On July 31st, 2004, L'Arc~en~Ciel performed their first concert in the United States at Otakon, a Japanese animation convention. They performed for an audience of more than 12,000 in Baltimore, Maryland.
They are best known outside of Japan for the song READY STEADY GO, which served as the second opening theme for the animated series Fullmetal Alchemist, and Link for the show's respective theatrical film. These songs earned them substantial Western popularity and attention to their album, SMILE, which was released in the United States by American label Tofu Records.
After more than a year since SMILE, the band released AWAKE on June 22nd, 2005, which was accompanied by ASIALIVE, L'Arc~en~Ciel's first tour to take them to South Korea and China, as well as the Japanese AWAKE tour.
The year 2006 marked the band's 15th anniversary since their debut. It was celebrated with the release of a box set of books titled L'Arc~en~Ciel BOX, re-releases of their first 15 singles along with the albums ark and ray, and the L'Anniversary live concerts held on November 25th and 26th. They also finally released the Fourth Avenue Cafe, the single canceled nearly 10 years prior, as part of their 15th anniversary celebrations.
The year 2007 saw increased activity for the band, with the release of four new singles, four DVD releases, the new album KISS, and the beginning of two back-to-back tours. The first was TOUR 2007-2008 THEATER OF KISS in Japan, followed by L'7 ～trans ASIA via PARIS～. The latter tour took them through Shanghai, Taiwan, Paris, Seoul, Hong Kong, and a return to Japan for shows in Tokyo and Osaka. At the end of this tour it was announced that the band would not tour again until their 20th anniversary in 2011. The band, however, says they're not on hiatus.
2008 saw the release of two new single from the band, DRINK IT DOWN released in April, and the double A-side NEXUS 4 / SHINE in August. Since then, HYDE has begun a new solo project with former OBLIVION DUST guitarist K.A.Z as VAMPS, with the release of a self-titled album and successful tours in Japan and the United States. With the legacy of 11 albums and 35 singles, L'Arc~en~Ciel continue to gather more and more fans throughout the world who eagerly await their return to renewed band activities.
As if in a dream
L'Arc~en~Ciel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yuugure to tomo ni ushinaware
Shizukana toki ga kizukanakatta
Sukima wo hirogeta
Watashi ni wa sorega
Ima wa fusagenai koto wo shiru
Hikari no tenmetsu ga wo hiite
Anata no tokoro kara sukoshi zutsu
Toonoite iru nowo oshieru
...Utsurona mado niwa nani mo dekinai
Watashi ga soko ni ita
Madoromi no gogo itsumo no youni
Soba ni ite warau anata no yume wo mita
Mado no soto wo nagameru watashi ni
Hohoeru anata no yume wo... mita
Ashi wo tomete mada usugurai sora wo
Nagai aida miteita
...Doushite souyuu toki ni kagitte
Umaku ienai nodarou
Madoromi no gogo itsumo no youni
Sobani ite warau anata no yume wo mita
Mado no soto wo nagameru watashi ni
Hohoenu anata no yume wo...
As if in a dream
Kanojo ha mada nemutte iru darouka...
The lyrics of the song "As if in a dream" by L'Arc~en~Ciel explore the theme of separation and the longing for a loved one who is no longer with us. The first stanza describes the loss of beloved tranquility and peacefulness at dusk, a time marking the end of a day and the beginning of darkness. The singer reflects on how she failed to notice the serene moments that were a part of her life until they were gone. She became aware of the gap left in her life only when it was too late to fill it.
The second stanza of the song delves deeper into the singer's reminiscence of the past. She recalls a moment when she witnessed a flicker of light, and as she turned around to catch it, she found it had disappeared. The light was a symbol of a loved one who had left her. The singer admits that the love and light she had once shared with her beloved is now irreplaceable. She stands before a window that shows her a distorted reality, where she can't see anything clearly, except her presence standing there.
The last line of the song, "As if in a dream, Kanojo ha mada nemutte iru darouka," meaning "Is she still sleeping in a dream?" indicates that the woman the singer referred to throughout the song might have passed away, and she is trying to accept her absence. However, she is not entirely convincing herself, wondering if her beloved is still in a peaceful dream.
Line by Line Meaning
Itoshii yasuragi ha
Beloved peace
Yuugure to tomo ni ushinaware
Lost along with the sunset
Shizukana toki ga kizukanakatta
Did not notice the quiet time
Sukima wo hirogeta
Opened up a gap
Watashi ni wa sorega
To me, that
Ima wa fusagenai koto wo shiru
Now I know I can't escape
Hikari no tenmetsu ga wo hiite
The flicker of light
Ushiro he nagarete wa kiete yuki
Disappeared flowing backwards
Anata no tokoro kara sukoshi zutsu
Little by little from where you are
Toonoite iru nowo oshieru
I learn to peek through it
...Utsurona mado niwa nani mo dekinai
In this transient window pane, I can do nothing
Watashi ga soko ni ita
I was there
Madoromi no gogo itsumo no youni
In a dozy afternoon like always
Soba ni ite warau anata no yume wo mita
Next to me, laughing, I saw your dream
Mado no soto wo nagameru watashi ni
Looking outside the window, me
Hohoeru anata no yume wo... mita
Saw your dream, smiling
Ashi wo tomete mada usugurai sora wo
I stopped, still watching the faint sky
Nagai aida miteita
For a long time I watched
...Doushite souyuu toki ni kagitte
Why is it that at such times, I can't speak well?
Umaku ienai nodarou
I wonder why I can't speak well
Hohoenu anata no yume wo...
Your dream, not smiling
As if in a dream
As if it were a dream
Kanojo ha mada nemutte iru darouka...
Is she still sleeping?
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.