She began to sing traditional Japanese folk music when she was four years old. Later, at the age of 15, RIKKI was the youngest winner ever to win the "Grand Prix" of the Japanese traditional folk music awards (known as All Japan Minyo awards). She first performed in Tokyo, Japan, at the prestigious Festival Konda Lota in 1992. She released her first single 満天の星 (Maten no Hoshi, which means "Sky Full of Stars") in December 1993, originally released in the Kyushu region of Japan. Shortly thereafter, she produced her debut album, 風の声 (Kaze no Koe).
RIKKI is widely known by gamers as the singer of the Final Fantasy X main theme, 素敵だね (Suteki Da Ne), released as a single on July 18, 2001. Other songs on the single include the Instrumental version of Suteki Da Ne, a vocal remix of Aerith Theme from Final Fantasy VII, and a new song entitled 御月様 ～ウティキサマ～ (Utikisama, which means "The Moon"). One reason why Nobuo Uematsu and Kazushige Nojima chose her to perform Suteki Da Ne (translated into English as "Isn't It Wonderful?") is that she is very famous in Japan as a traditional folk singer and they believed that her voice is rather nice and gentle, and that her voice has a higher pitch than the voices of mainstream Japanese singers. RIKKI was 26 years old at the time of Final Fantasy X's release.
Suteki Da Ne
Rikki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
泳いだ心
雲が運ぶあしたに
弾んだ声
つきが揺れる鏡に
震えた心
ほしが流れ零れた
素敵だね
二人手を取り歩けたなら
行きたいよ
キミの街 家 腕の中
その胸
からだあずけ
よいにまぎれ
夢見る
風は止まり言葉は
優しい幻
雲は破れあしたは
遠くの声
月が滲むかがみを
流れた心
星が揺れて零れた
隠せない涙
素敵だね
二人手を取り歩けたなら
行きたいよ
キミの街 家 腕の中
その顔
そっと触れて
あさに溶ける
夢見る
The lyrics of "Suteki da ne" by Rikki describe a moment of pure wonder and beauty shared between two people. The words evoke the power of nature to inspire and move us, with images of the wind and clouds carrying words and tomorrow, and the moon and stars reflected in trembling hearts and tears. The singer expresses a deep desire to be with the person she loves, walking hand in hand through their city, their home, and their dreams. The song is a celebration of the joy and magic of being in love, and of the ways in which the world around us can reflect and amplify those feelings.
The lyrics of "Suteki da ne" are matched by a hauntingly beautiful melody, composed by Nobuo Uematsu for the video game Final Fantasy X. The game's story centers around the journey of the young summoner Yuna and her companions to defeat a great evil, and the song plays a pivotal role in the story. It is first heard during a scene in which Yuna performs a sacred ritual designed to send the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. The performance is accompanied by a stunning visual sequence featuring the characters in full costume against a vivid sunset. The song's lyrics and melody capture the sense of wonder and awe that the characters and players alike are meant to feel in that moment, and it has become one of the game's most iconic and beloved pieces.
Line by Line Meaning
風が寄せた言葉に
Riding on the words brought by the wind
泳いだ心
A heart that swam
雲が運ぶあしたに
On a tomorrow carried by clouds
弾んだ声
A lively voice
つきが揺れる鏡に
In the mirror where the moon sways
震えた心
A quivering heart
ほしが流れ零れた
Soft tears flowed and trickled down
柔らかい涙
Tears that are soft
素敵だね
It's wonderful
二人手を取り歩けたなら
If we could walk hand in hand
行きたいよ
I want to go
キミの街 家 腕の中
To your city, your home, in your arms
その胸
That chest
からだあずけ
Entrust my body to you
よいにまぎれ
Lose myself in you
夢見る
Dreaming
風は止まり言葉は
The wind stops, the words
優しい幻
Become gentle illusions
雲は破れあしたは
The clouds break and tomorrow
遠くの声
Is a distant voice
月が滲むかがみを
The moon blurs in the mirror
流れた心
A heart that flows away
星が揺れて零れた
Stars that shake and fall
隠せない涙
Tears that cannot be hidden
その顔
That face
そっと触れて
Gently touching
あさに溶ける
Melting into the morning
夢見る
Dreaming
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@petitfour2503
"The Final Fantasy franchise, what a great franchise it was. FF 10 was one of my first games when I was little. I didn't know how to read because I was too young, but I was playing the game without understanding everything.
When I heard the theme song 'Suteki da ne' for the first time and the way the music was used for the cutscenes that everyone knows if you have played the game, it was a magical moment back then when I was young, and even now, when I rewatch it, the feelings are always there, just like the kid I was. At that time, Japanese songs were hard to listen to because there was no YouTube or Spotify 20 years ago.
So 'Suteki da ne' was one of my first memories of a Japanese song that I had heard. Now I'm learning Japanese thanks to that game, and FF 10 was the first game in which I enjoyed the movie on YouTube in Japanese (10 hours of story).
So much love for this song, this game, and this franchise.
Thank you very much Nobuo Uematsu, for creating music that touches the souls of millions of people."
@viridescentvenerer5709
Lyric Romaji
Kaze ga yoseta kotoba ni
Oyoida kokoro
Kumo ga hakobu ashita ni
Hazunda koe
Tsuki ga yureru kagami ni
Furueta kokoro
Hoshi ga nagare koboreta
Yawarakai namida
Suteki da ne
Futari te o tori aruketa nara
Ikitai yo
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka
Sono mune
Karada azuke
Yoi ni magire
Yumemiru
Kaze wa tomari kotoba wa
Yasashī maboroshi
Kumo wa yabure ashita wa
Tōku no koe
Tsuki ga nijimu kagami o
Nagareta kokoro
Hoshi ga yurete koboreta
Kakusenai namida
Suteki da ne
Futari te wo tori aruketa nara
Ikitai yo
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka
Sono kao
Sotto furete
Asa ni tokeru
Yumemiru
Suteki da ne
Futari te wo tori aruketa nara
Ikitai yo
Kimi no machi ie ude no naka
Sono mune
Karada azuke
Yoi ni magire
Yumemiru
@mickwous2795
This wasn't just a game. This was and still is an experience
@xanderjames8682
Yeah. I living story that you feel youre in.
Remember rushing from school, eager to see what happens next. No game has had that for me since
@justinlohnes7448
Amen
@예한-d4x
기억안나는데.
@amandawinchester2803
I have yet to pass this game. I have restarted this game soooo many times since childhood. But as a kid, I would put so many hours just grinding and getting lost in it before stopping right around Mt gagazette. I know how it ends and what happens throughout. But every time I play, I enjoy it immensely which is what keeps me coming back.
It says a lot about a game that can hold my attention so long and I have no problem watching these scenes over and over again. Even as a kid, then teen. I'm playing it rn and I think it's finally time. I'm gonna beat it.
And they hit a bit harder now that I'm in my early 30's. It really is an experience.
@ElizabethLarijani
What about FF 12?
@Trustworthy_McLegitimate
He is the last dream to end all dreams.
Tidus is the only character to ACTUALLY be the Final Fantasy.
@chaoticspice3075
My favorite part was when the fayths were like “you are… our final fantasy….”
@mookiestewart3776
Well kinda……lol
@tuckernutter
@@chaoticspice3075 I've played the game thrice over countless hours so I gotta know if this was real cuz I don't need a false memory.