Maon Kurosaki began her singing career in Akihabara at the performance venue and bar Dear Stage, where she had been singing since at least January 2008. Music producer Akihiro Tomita noticed her singing talent, and he subsequently became her producer when she made her major debut signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment. Kurosaki first announced her major debut to her fans in January 2010. Her first music release was her debut album H.O.T.D. on September 22, 2010, which contains the ending theme songs used in the 2010 anime series Highschool of the Dead. To commemorate the album and the broadcast of the anime, she performed songs from the album once a week at Deer Stage from July 7 to September 22, 2010. Another event to commemorate the album was held at Animate in Yokohama on October 16, 2010.
Her debut single "Magic∞World" was released on November 24, 2010, and she performed at Deer Stage on that day to commemorate the release. Kurosaki's second single "Memories Last" (メモリーズ・ラスト?) was released on March 2, 2011. Both "Magic∞World" and "Memories Last" were used as ending theme songs to the 2010 anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index II. Kurosaki had her first solo live event called "Maon Kurosaki Live 2011 Spring: Memories First" on March 4–5, 2011 in Harajuku. She made her North American debut at Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles, California where she performed on July 1 and July 3. She released the mini-album Goshiki Uta: Immortal Lovers on August 10, 2011, which contains the ending theme songs used in the 2011 original video animation series Hakuōki Sekkaroku. She made her first appearance at the 2011 Animelo Summer Live on August 28. Kurosaki released her second studio album Butterfly Effect on November 30, 2011. In 2011, Kurosaki formed the band Altima with Move's Mototaka "Motsu" Segawa and fripSide's Satoshi "Sat" Yaginuma. Kurosaki released three more singles in 2012: "Hell:ium" on May 9, "Reimei" (黎鳴?) on August 8, and "Under / Shaft" on October 17. "Reimei" is used as the opening theme for the 2012 Hakuōki Reimeiroku anime series, and "Under / Shaft" is used as the opening theme for the 2012 Jormungand: Perfect Order anime series.
Before she had her major debut, Kurosaki posed as a gravure model for the cover of Yūsaku Kitano's novel Maid Road Reload sold on April 26, 2010 by ASCII Media Works under their Media Works Bunko imprint. Kurosaki has been a regular host for the Thursday broadcast of the radio program A&G Artist Zone 2h since October 7, 2010.
Kurosaki's music was influenced by her love of anime and lolita fashion. Her songs have been featured in various anime series such as Jormungand, Tokyo Ravens, and The Fruit of Grisaia. She collaborated with artists such as Mami Kawada, Kotoko, and Trustrick for her music releases. She performed twice at Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles, California, and was a regular performer at Japanese anime events such as LisAni, Animelo Summer Live, and Animax Musix. She also appeared at Anime Festival Asia, Bangkok Comic Con, and CharaExpo. From 2011 to 2016, she was singer of the synthpop band Altima, together with Motsu of the band Move.
She died on February 16, 2023 following a period of declining health, after being diagnosed with an epidural hematoma in 2021.
On September 22, 2023, the day Kurosaki had debuted, a memorial event had been held with the name Maon Kurosaki Memorial Days Event "Future & Past", at Shirokane Takanawa Selene.
On September 30, 2023, a crowdfunding project was launched by Art One Entertainment to finish the documentary Maon Kurosaki: The Movie "If You Become Me That Day", which was scheduled to be released in Q2 2023, but was left in a state of uncertainty after Kurosaki's death. The documentary was aiming to follow the artist's path from the collapse in 2021, to the reemergence with the live event in July 31, 2022. To provide an insight into the film, a trailer was also released with the crowdfunding announcement, which was originally suggested by Kurosaki herself during a production meeting for the documentary.
Trying! Trying!
Maon Kurosaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
君はいつも
先陣を切って
駆けて行った
そんな姿を
横目に僕は
手を振る仕草
ただひとり...
でも
ある時知った
細い肩に
のしかかる悪夢(かげ)
鉛の運命(さが)
輝かしくて
目を瞑った
光の一部(つぶ)に
なってしまうと
怯えていたよ...
...待って!
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Keep on your trying.
逆光を浴びたまま
I think you feel what I say!
こんな僕でも
まだ間に合うかな
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
指先が覚えてる
立ち止まって
振り返って
繰り返していたyesterday
だけどずっと
こんなのきっと
本当の僕じゃないって
叫んでた fraction...
平行線だった
縮まらない
誰より早く
行ってしまうよ
道無き道も
なんてことない
鼻で笑って
飛ばすんだろう
朝焼けに...
なんで?
茨の大地
鉄槌の雨
逃げたくもなる
怖くないの?
その眼差しは
一線を引く
踏み出す一歩は
自分のため?
誰かのために...?
...そうさ!
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Keep on your trying.
教えてくれたよね
I think you feel what I say!
どんな時でも
凛とした瞳で
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
汗ばむ左手で
幸せって
何倍だって
何分割も出来るって
だからきっと
いつかきっと
君みたいになりたいって
握りしめ Action...!
Ah
歪んだ世界(世界が)
窮屈なんだと
ああ... だけど違った(違った)
君に出会えたよ
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Keep on your trying.
逆光を追いかけて!
I think you feel what I say!
こんな僕でも
まだ間に合うきっと
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
指先が覚えてる
立ち上がって
振り祓って
繰り返していたyesterday
だからきっと
今度はもっと
根拠なんていらないって!
僕だけの Action...!
The song "Trying! Trying!" by Maon Kurosaki is a song about perseverance and self-discovery. The lyrics describe a person who admires someone who always takes the lead and runs ahead, but then realizes that this admired person also carries a burden and struggles with a heavy fate. The singer of the song is reminded of their past and how they used to stand still and look back at yesterday, feeling unsure of themselves and their identity. However, they are urged to keep trying and to keep moving forward by the voice of the admired person. The chorus repeatedly encourages the listener to keep trying and to keep saying, even in the face of adversity.
The song speaks to anyone who has felt lost or uncertain about their path in life. The lyrics convey a message of hope and perseverance, urging the listener to keep pushing forward even when the road ahead seems unclear. The song also shows the importance of having someone to look up to and to find inspiration in, as well as the importance of being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
今思えばそう
Thinking about it now, yeah
君はいつも
You always
先陣を切って
Lead the way
駆けて行った
Running ahead
そんな姿を
Looking at that figure
横目に僕は
I looked sideways
手を振る仕草
Waving goodbye
眺めてた
Watching
ただひとり...
All alone...
でも
But
ある時知った
One time I realized
細い肩に
On your narrow shoulders
のしかかる悪夢(かげ)
Burdened with nightmares
鉛の運命(さが)
The fate of lead
輝かしくて
It shone bright
目を瞑った
And I closed my eyes
光の一部(つぶ)に
And became a part of the light
なってしまうと
At that point
怯えていたよ...
I was so scared...
...待って!
...Wait!
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
Keep on your trying.
Keep on trying.
逆光を浴びたまま
Even in the face of blinding light
I think you feel what I say!
I think you understand what I'm saying!
こんな僕でも
Even someone like me
まだ間に合うかな
Can still make it, I wonder?
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
Keep on saying it!
指先が覚えてる
My fingertips remember
立ち止まって
Stopped in my tracks
振り返って
Turned around
繰り返していたyesterday
Reliving yesterday again and again
だけどずっと
But all this time
こんなのきっと
I'm sure this isn't
本当の僕じゃないって
The real me
叫んでた fraction...
I kept yelling "just a fraction..."
平行線だった
Our paths were parallel
縮まらない
We weren't getting any closer
誰より早く
You went faster than anyone else
行ってしまうよ
And went on ahead
道無き道も
Even if there's no path
なんてことない
It's no big deal
鼻で笑って
You laughed it off
飛ばすんだろう
And you'll keep on flying
朝焼けに...
In the morning light...
なんで?
Why?
茨の大地
On this thorny terrain
鉄槌の雨
In a rain of iron hammers
逃げたくもなる
I want to run away, but
怖くないの?
Aren't you scared?
その眼差しは
But the look in your eyes
一線を引く
Draws a line
踏み出す一歩は
The first step you take
自分のため?
Is it for yourself?
誰かのために...?
Or is it for someone else...?
...そうさ!
...Yeah, that's right!
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
Keep on your trying.
Keep on trying.
教えてくれたよね
You taught me, right?
I think you feel what I say!
I think you understand what I'm saying!
どんな時でも
No matter when
凛とした瞳で
With that piercing gaze
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
Keep on saying it!
汗ばむ左手で
With your sweaty left hand
幸せって
Happiness
何倍だって
No matter how many times
何分割も出来るって
It can be split into anything
だからきっと
So I'm sure that
いつかきっと
Someday, I'm sure
君みたいになりたいって
I want to be like you
握りしめ Action...!
I'll grasp it tight and take action!
Ah
Ah
歪んだ世界(世界が)
This twisted world
窮屈なんだと
Feels cramped
ああ... だけど違った(違った)
Ah... but it wasn't true. (It was different)
君に出会えたよ
Meeting you
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
Keep on your trying.
Keep on trying.
逆光を追いかけて!
Chasing the blinding light!
I think you feel what I say!
I think you understand what I'm saying!
こんな僕でも
Even someone like me
まだ間に合うきっと
Can still make it, I'm sure
Trying! Trying! Eyez lock you!
Trying! Trying! My eyes are on you!
K.e.e.p on saying!
Keep on saying it!
指先が覚えてる
My fingertips remember
立ち上がって
Stand up
振り祓って
Shake it off
繰り返していたyesterday
Reliving yesterday again and again
だからきっと
So I'm sure that
今度はもっと
This time, more than ever
根拠なんていらないって!
I won't need any evidence!
僕だけの Action...!
My very own action...!
Writer(s): 高瀬一矢
Contributed by Colton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.