About "Brackish Intersection"
A title that describes Magical Mirai Hamamatsu in a single phrase as a place where things "intersect"
This "Brackish Intersection" is a song I created to enter into the Hatsune Miku "Magical Mirai 2026" Commemorative Illustration & Song Contest.
First, about the title "Brackish Intersection".
When I started my entry, the first thing I thought about was, "If I had to describe Magical Mirai 2026 Hamamatsu in one phrase, what would it be?"
"Brackish water" refers to water with low salinity where seawater and freshwater mix, and Lake Hamana in Hamamatsu is exactly that—a brackish lake.
Furthermore, Hamamatsu is a city located between Tokyo and Osaka, the regular host cities for Magical Mirai.
I thought that if I could create a song that links that geographical position with the brackish water area, it would be perfect for the image of Hamamatsu, so I expanded on that motif.
Ultimately, I decided that Magical Mirai 2026 Hamamatsu is "a place where Magical Mirai mixes in a city with a brackish lake," and gave it the title "Brackish Intersection."
General Story
I always think of a story when I produce a song, and this time was no exception.
"Two people who used to sing together by the shores of Lake Hamana.
Eventually, they drifted apart to the east and west, but one day, triggered by a melody heard from across the lake, they return to this city.
Will they be able to reunite and sing together again...?"
That is the super rough story, which doesn't even really qualify as a synopsis.
It's always like this.
Now, regarding this story, since it is set in Hamamatsu, the city of music, and I wanted to express the contest theme of "Lake Sonare," I wanted to feature the resonance and harmony of singing voices.
And since the title "Brackish Intersection" was already decided, it is a story I created by expanding on that image.
In line with the story, I created many parts throughout the song to showcase harmony.
You could interpret the east and west as seawater and freshwater and make it a story about fish; the lyrics were written with various forms of stories in mind.
Well, I will refrain from saying which is seawater and which is freshwater here, as that might start a war.
The meaning behind choosing MEIKO as the duet partner for the contest
The MV version is a solo version by Una-chan, which stems from my desire to emphasize the elements of the "Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana" image.
On the other hand, I used MEIKO for the audio submitted to the contest.
This is because I thought that if I were to have someone sing as the theme for "Hamamatsu," the city where YAMAHA, the developer of VOCALOID, is based, it would be fitting to use "MEIKO," the world's first Japanese VOCALOID.
(Of course, it also helps that I am a Vocaloid P who uses MEIKO frequently.)
Also, from a musical perspective, another reason is that I thought if Una-chan's realistic and cute singing voice were combined with MEIKO-san's core-filled singing voice, it would surely create a rich "Sonare."
Before I knew it, it became an image song for "Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana"
Lastly, something I felt halfway through making this song.
This song, "Brackish Intersection," was for the contest, but it felt half like an image song for "Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana."
Although I say halfway, I had been making it with that intention from a very early stage, but it became an image song more than I expected.
This is also one of the reasons why I made the MV version a Una-chan solo.
However, the concepts are clearly different between the solo and duet versions.
・Una-chan solo version = Image song for "Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana"
・Una & MEIKO twin vocal version = Image song for Magical Mirai 2026 Hamamatsu "Lake Sonare"
I hope you listen to it with that in mind.
I think the duet version might sound different in terms of the meaning of the lyrics, such as "two things mixing" or "I'm on your side now," because the two characters are singing.
With that said, please enjoy the song "Brackish Intersection," which can be enjoyed in many different ways.