Saturday, April 2, 2022

Language Bridging Songs

The Pokémon anime is popular among Japanese and English viewers alike, with great numbers of fans of both. What some may not realize is that a few of the music pieces of either language have links to the other language, even if the forms are not exactly the same. In effect, they "straddle" or "bridge" the two languages and become interesting aspects of the anime in both language and music.

One of the ending themes of the Japanese dub of the anime actually has an English version, and that theme is called "Type: Wild". Both forms have been used as ending themes, cut down to what is called the "TV size". Even so, fans who know about this are likely those who watch the Japanese dub, as the English version is non-existent in the English dub, as odd as it may be. It's still an energetic piece that should encapsulate the feelings of any Trainer who watches the anime.

Meanwhile, there's the ending theme of the third feature film or movie, which in English is entitled "Just Like a Rainbow" and I've detailed in a separate post. Its Japanese title is "Niji ga Umareta Hi", which roughly translates to "a rainbow is born", and based on that, the English version may be described as a loose adaptation, yet still sung by the original artist, a rarity among these "bridging" songs. It is likewise a real gem that may be relatively unknown among English fans.

Likewise, I've covered "Make a Wish/Chiisaki Mono", the ending theme of the sixth featured film or movie. Unlike the previous two songs above, English language viewers are likely to know about this one, even only in partial as the English version is also a partial one. What is not partial are the sentiments that are invoked, whichever version one listens to, and they remain as true as I've written about them initially. The fact that the song managed to make the "crossover" is regardless a rarity.

Actually, the same might apply to the last song I'll mention here. The song is called "Polka O Dolka", which in English is sometimes called "Gotta Dance" after the short film that it appears in. Either way, it's a really upbeat number that features Meowth singing in the respective languages with its characteristic voice. The Japanese version also acts as an ending theme for some of the episodes in the Hoenn saga, again in a short yet lively TV size. The feature of Meowth singing is an odd but neat one.

Whether it's in Japanese or English, music makes a great part of the anime. It carries sentiments in a complementary manner to the anime feature being presented. It's apparent that those sentiments can cross over and "straddle" or "bridge" the boundaries of the mentioned languages, which is made clear by the selection of four songs above. They may be considered treats for viewers of both languages.

Two years ago: Quizzes and Knowledge
Three years ago: Going For New Competitions
Four years ago: Artistic License

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