The Era of the Underprivileged Anime Fan I Loved

"Welcome Here"
(Sarutahiko, Track 2)
Lyrics: Takashi Ifukube
Composition: Kenichi Washizaki

The intro of this song seems to represent the mindset of someone trying to find friends who share their interests, attempting to creak open the rusted door of their heart, only to repeat the cycle of "they don't understand me = failure" each time.

However, the light, rhythmic beat that arrives after repeating this over and over—this change is surely the joy of "I finally found someone who understands what I love!"

No matter how many times you open the door to a dim room, it's still a dim room. Repeating that, you finally find a room where light shines in. The scenery changes completely.

When I was in junior high, I listened to a radio program by a singer I liked (Rina Chinen) every week without telling anyone. Then, I started listening to the comedy radio programs that aired before and after it.

Before I knew it, I started participating in the "oogiri" (comedy prompt) segments, and eventually, my jokes started getting picked. I happened to have a chance to talk about this to the guy sitting next to me in class, and it turned out he was listening to that same program. It was a shock to realize that a joy I thought only I knew was also known by someone else. The image of the intro is quite close to this.

I thought, "How long are you going to talk about just the intro?" but even just the intro can be savored this much by layering it with my own past. That is the POARO quality.

This song is the second track on the album "Sarutahiko." Unlike the previous song I wrote about, "NEW-TYPE," which shouted "I don't need friends," this song seems to be one that accepts such closed-off people, saying, "I get it, I get it. We all have times like that. But there are people who understand those hobbies, and it's fun to share them."I don't have friendsThe intro continues the lingering echoes of arrogant types like in "NEW-TYPE" who wanted friends deep down, and then passes the baton to the "accepting side" at the start of the vocals, creating a brilliant composition across the first and second tracks.

References to anime that otaku enjoyed at the time, such as magical plastic wands and the seven seas, are scattered throughout. Whenever I listen to POARO's songs, I always wonder what works would be included if they made a song like this today. But since dozens of anime come out every season now, I wonder if it's hard to deify anime like that anymore.

Anyway, the more you listen to it, the more the lyrics feel as kind as a senior member recruiting for an otaku-related club or circle. A strong will comes across, saying there's no need to be pessimistic about otaku hobbies—just enjoy them! The final lyrics are also very impressive, ending with the feeling that once you've become friends, I won't abandon you.

Since this song was born in an era when anime fans had a sense of guilt and conflict about being somewhat unacceptable to society, I feel it might not resonate with young people today, for whom anime has become mainstream, as much as it does with me.

What a truly wonderful era we live in now.