#127 The Story Behind 'Nobody's Fault'—The Day She Chose 'Rebirth'
The lingering resonance of that day still remains in my heart.
April 11th. The performance of 'Nobody's Fault' at the LAST SONG.
I wrote about what I felt on the spot in my live report, but this time, I would like to write again about the depth of expression embedded in this song.
The meaning behind the spire pose
'Nobody's Fault' features a very important pose. That pose where you form a triangle with your hands and hold it in front of your eyes.
It is a story that is already too famous—the left eye signifies 'rebirth,' and the right eye signifies 'destruction.'
It is said that the choreography was inspired by the fact that in ancient Egypt, the right eye represents 'destruction' and the left eye represents 'rebirth.'
Regarding this background, TAKAHIRO-sensei explains it in detail in the bonus footage of 'Start over!' at the 2nd Anniversary Buddies Thanksgiving.
I am ashamed to say that I had not watched it properly, but after witnessing the performance at this 5th Anniversary Live, I felt that I absolutely had to see it, so I obtained it and watched it again.
The intro begins with eyes closed, looking down, and hands forming an inverted triangle pointing downward.
This triangular shape is called the 'spire form.' It originally represents the shape of a pointed church roof, and the fact that it starts as an inverted triangle pointing downward symbolizes 'Keyakizaka.' Keyakizaka is an expression that digs deep down into the depths of the heart. From there, while reversing it, it changes into the triangle pose for Sakurazaka as an image connected from the roots of Keyakizaka—that was the meaning embedded in the beginning of this song.
Furthermore, this church metaphor links to the world of Keyakizaka's final song, 'Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no ka?'.
Churches have bells. And in 'Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no ka?', they are searching for the'Savior of Love'. It was said that a message for Hikaru Morita was entrusted here as an existence with the potential to be that 'Savior of Love'.
The fact that she was captured in that song during the lyrics 'Savior of Love'—it was because she carried such a message, such a destiny.
And it is said that at the beginning of Sakurazaka, TAKAHIRO-sensei asked Hikaru Morita, 'Which eye will you use for the triangle—the right eye (destruction) or the left eye (rebirth)?'
At that moment, she chose 'rebirth.'
In response to that, TAKAHIRO-sensei created the choreography for Sakurazaka with the image of 'rebirth' in mind.
I only learned now that such a conceptual and precise story had been woven. I am truly glad that I was able to learn about it.
On the second day, Hikaru Morita said this while holding back tears.
“Since this was our very first song as Sakurazaka, and we were forced to make a choice when we didn't yet know what kind of group we would become, I chose the path of ‘rebirth.’ Even while performing ‘Nobody's fault’ until now, there were times when I thought it might have been better to break everything down once and rebuild it ourselves, but...when I saw this view with my left eye today, for the first time, I felt glad that I chose rebirth.”
Two questions that arose from Hikaru Morita's words
The meaning of the initial scene where destruction was chosen
The moment I heard these words, two questions formed in my mind.
The first concerns the Keyakizaka Last Live and the expression in the ‘Nobody's fault’ music video.
In fact, these two were the only ones performed with the right eye—that is, with ‘destruction.’
This is just my own speculation, but at the time of the MV and the Last Live, the management might have had the concept of ‘destroying all of Keyakizaka's identity and starting from zero.’Alternatively, perhaps the choice was first presented when taking the first step as Sakurazaka: whether to break away from Keyakizaka after going through ‘destruction,’ or to be reborn while inheriting the roots of Keyaki.
In any case, it is precisely because she chose ‘rebirth’ that Sakurazaka exists today. Performing Keyakizaka songs at Sakurazaka concerts and the nuances of Keyakizaka that live on in the choreography are all thanks to that choice. It is said that ‘Jouken Hansha de Nakete Kuru’ also contains homages to many Keyakizaka choreographies, a point that TAKAHIRO-sensei also explains in the same scene.
The true meaning of the words ‘I felt glad for the first time’
And the other question is about the word ‘first time.’
‘For the first time, I felt glad that I chose rebirth.’
She said that at the National Stadium.
It means that for five years, she had been struggling, constantly wondering, ‘Was choosing rebirth really the right thing to do?’
There was a path to open up new expressions through ‘destruction,’ which is a complete break from Keyakizaka. Even so, she kept questioning whether it was truly correct to choose the path of inheriting Keyakizaka's identity.
Controversies surrounding Keyakizaka and Sakurazaka inevitably arise among fans. There is no easy answer that makes everyone happy. Perhaps such voices reached the members as well. And perhaps Morita-san has been struggling amidst those voices.
I am truly glad that she chose ‘rebirth.’ Delivering Keyakizaka performances and touching upon stories from the Keyakizaka era—how important that is. If they were to seal that away, it would mean denying the past.
The second-generation members joined because they admired Keyakizaka. They have days they spent active as Keyakizaka. Among the third and fourth generations, there are members who have supported them since the Keyakizaka era. Keyakizaka's blood is undoubtedly rooted in their identities. To destroy that would be to deny the path they have walked and to deny the feelings of the fans who have supported them for so many years. That is why I am glad they chose ‘rebirth.’ I truly feel that way.
For this concert, I was hoping there might be some Keyakizaka songs. Especially ‘Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no ka?’ is a song that has not yet been performed in front of fans. I really wanted to see it while the second-generation members, who are the original members, are still here.
However, seeing their performance over these past two days—and seeing that moment during 'Nobody's fault'—I was convinced that there could be nothing better than this.
From now on, no matter how many years pass. As Sakurazaka continues for 10, 20 years, I strongly hope that they will keep singing these songs—'Nobody's fault,' 'BAN,' 'Start over!,' 'Nanisai no Koro ni Modoritai no ka?'—that have colored and created Sakurazaka's history.
I believe the soul of my favorite song, 'Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no ka?,' also resides within the initial triangle formation of 'Nobody's fault.' Thinking that way, even as the second-generation members eventually leave and history is passed down to the fifth and sixth generations, I feel I can believe that the soul of Keyakizaka and the soul of this song will still be there. (Though, I do hold a faint hope that they might sing it in that context someday...)
That is why I want to keep watching forever.
At the end of the song lecture during the Buddies Thanksgiving Festival, TAKAHIRO-sensei said this:
'This is just the initial form, and the choreography is alive. The members will keep changing it. It is the members who create it, and it is all of you Buddies who help shape it together. That is why live performances are interesting. That is why I want to keep watching forever.'
The staff and the members have thought so deeply and built this up to this point. And just as the venue turned green for 'Mamori-bito' during this concert, and 'Seijaku no Bouryoku' transformed the space into silence and darkness—I want us Buddies to be a presence that helps shape that form together.
That is why I, too, want to keep watching Sakurazaka forever. I want to continue creating this story together with you all.
*Photo source
We have used photos owned by Seed & Flower, which are provided to and used by various media outlets.