(Please note this is my interpretation of a popular Japanese pop song
about six years ago. Of course I could be wrong, but one of the people
I consulted, agreed with me generally about my interpretation.)
Ayumi Hamasaki's (Ayu's) song M had a certain appeal to me even though
I do not speak Japanese. I did get the video of the song and looked
at the translation. The video was filmed at St Patrick's church in
Yokohama. At the end Ayu said something about praying that this time
it will be true love. I asked a translator (Grace Anderson) if
the "Maria,� being petitioned in the song, was Mary the mother of
Jesus. The answer was "yes," because in Japan, Mary is known
as "Maria."
The video has some interesting contrasts. It starts out with Ayu at
church dressed in black singing "Maria there is someone I should
love." The lyrics are very picturesque. She talks of relationships
blossoming all over the city and the curtains going up, but at the
same time relationships ending and the curtains coming down. In the
video one sees the church doors opening and particles of light coming
into the church. The particles of light become Ayu in a white wedding
dress, with long hair. A contrast to Ayu in black, with short hair..
Ayu in black (with short hair) is hoping to be the Ayu in the white
wedding dress (with long hair). The video comes full circle with the
image of the Ayu in white "dissolving" and at the end we see Ayu in
black. So the video comes full circle.
In summary the video seems to be a story of a girl, having faced
disappointments in love, seeking this time for a lasting love. I am
not sure if Ayu in the song was supposed to be a good Catholic girl or
simply someone seeking love and just happening to make that petition
in a Catholic church. The reason why I say that is in Japan many
people have a Shinto birth rite, a "Christian" wedding and a Buddhist
funeral. In other words, when facing a problem, people will reach out
to anything for help especially if there is a �patron saint,� god or
kami to address the specific problem. Of course this behavior is not
unique to Japan. People all over the world become �religious� in a
pinch.
The dvd can be ordered from Kinokuniya. An interpretation or
translation can be found
at Nick Tsurikov's site (interpretation) www.eneabba.net/ayu or Grace
Anderson's site (translation) at www.megchan.com
Guy
# posted by GuyTak @ 9:54 PM
