Meiyuu Deshi Kairou analysis. I'm losing my sanity...
Hello @hypn0sssss, just wanna let you know, I've been working off my ass to research this song like...more than 30 minutes but then in turn into a whole week long.
It was fun though ( I really need a rest but my brain said just do it! )
BUT, ANYWAY, here are some important information you should know before getting into this song analysis.
If you don't know, this is an event song, it connects with an event story about a VR game, yes, a VR game. It was introduced to Mika by Makoto and Sora. And later on, became the inspiration for Mika's song.
This is related to Mika's character, so if you know nothing about him, you can learn more from some sources out there or have a quick check at my post
3 . I'll mostly put the lyrics in word form. I really want to put all the translation pictures here but since Tumblr stop me from having more than 10 pics in a post...I can only put some.
4 . Most of this is my personal analysis. Pls tell me or put on the sources if you want to put it somewhere. Also, since it is a PERSONAL thing, the lyrics might not mean like that to you, but it is to me. You are free to have your own idea of this song however you like.
Alright! Let's get started!!!
For the theme of the song, Mika is using the VR game as his base, so it understandable that some words might be a little lead into the mechanical aspect.
The story for this song is about a mechanical god who ends the story/ the world abruptly. It very interesting when the song did not only successfully portray the theme of mechanical but also the theme and story of Valkyrie itself.
Oh my dear Mika, you are really something of an artist, aren't ya?! It the time when Mika finally step up and going his own art more then waiting for Shu order!
The name of the song "Meikyuu Deshi Kairou" which means "Labyrinth Electronic Corridor"
With some lines mention classic songs
(this line got repeated 2 times)
"Ode to Joy" or in other words "An die Freude"
You must have known it as Beethoven's most significant work, Symphony No.9, a choral symphony.
Since the name isn't being written in another name until you start digging deeper, you'll find something eles, lies in these words they had chosen.
It was origin from a poem written by a German named Friedrich Schiller and was used by Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony.
But the version that Beethoven used is the revision of the poem. Yet Friedrich himself didn't like that version at all, he viewed it as a failure.
Why? Because Friedrich made that poem for his dear beloved ( longtime friend and partner ) Christian Gottfried Körner, who inspired him to write the poem.
He stayed "of value maybe for us two, but not for the world, nor for the art of poetry"
I SWEAR TO GOD, WHEN I READED THOUGH WORD, NO THING APPEAR IN MY MIND AS FAST AS MIKA AND SHU DID.
His performance and his dear partner in art. Did I mention that Friedrich made a whole verse for Christian on his birthday.
( uhm, ok, that's enough! Let's move to the next one for now before I can't keep this mouth shut. )
Some lines in the poem go like this:
"Rescue from the chains of tyrants,
Magnanimity to the villain too,
Hope on the deathbed,
Mercy in the high (law) court,
Even the dead shall live!
Brothers, drink and agree (with me)
That all sinners shall be forgiven
And hell shall be no more."
The "Ode to Joy" old name was "Ode to Freedom" / "An die Freiheit"
Then there came "Libera me" ( "Deliver me" )
Which also has an interesting background related to the Catholic Church. "Libera me" originated from a song named "Office of the Dead" which had been sung as a service prayer for the death.
The text asks God to have mercy upon the deceased person at the Last Judgment.
And it fits the theme of the song well! Because as I said before, the song is about a god who wants to destroy the world in sudden.
So "Ode to Joy", "Libera me" can be seen as the voices of humans who denying the god choice, the choice to turn the world back to dust.
( Note: The line in the song is not being sung by Mika or Shu, but by voices in the background. It becomes more noticeable when considering the fact that none other Valkyrie songs have these "background voices" at all )
The next two lines both sing an indirectly about the old Valkyrie.
"Ah, the melody sinks into overwritten myths"
The old Valkyrie had been sunk down to the deep by the play of Fine.
"Come, it is the time to open the floating corridor that full of electrons"
But it was the story from a long time ago, now, we taking a different path, to the new corridor, a new path to the future yet we're still unable to predict. Accidentally we lead ourselves to the door of destruction. ( It can also be seen as the god in this play had opened the door of doom, ending the world in sudden )
Ah, yes, once again this song mentions the use of the classic poem.
This "Song of the Bell" had nothing to do with song or symphony, which gives us more clues and confirms the truth about "Ode to Joy".
Surprisingly, "Song of the Bell" is also been written by Friedrich Schiller.
"Ode to Joy" was written in 1785, while "Song of the Bell" was written in 1798.
The poem talks about the bell, how was the bell made, by what, and with what tools and techniques they used to make it.
I have a belief that the "love and punishment" part of the song lyrics has other means than taking from the "Song of the Bell". Yes, the poem did mention "love" as a part of the story where a couple has known each other since they were kid.
Wedding bell and allocation of roles is the part when the bell acts as a wedding bell.
To later on, mention death: Death knell upon the decease of the woman where the bell has an earnest purpose and tolls in accompaniment to a funeral
But there is no mention of crime or punishment.
So go back to the lyrics where they sing: "Reflect the song"
Reflect...which means there is a connection but not really is about the poem. It was more about Valkyris, the love had turned its back on them. Their art, their joy, their peaceful life as 3 small people in an unpopular Unit was now a punishment, pulling them down to the ground.
Nazuna left, Valkyrie broke, Shu is no longer himself.
To Mika, if not a punishment then what could this horrifying scene had been?
We can also see this in the human's eyes. If "Ode to Joy", "Libera me" was all human ( in the theme ) talking about, then this line is the begging for the god to rethink his decision:
"Please, don't you see, this beautiful planet is our everything. Is our beginning and our ending. We may suffer, but we are happy, and that makes living a meaningful thing."
noticed how Mika uses "Each other" not just "Other" which points to both Shu and Mika.
In their era of being a "not so happy" unit since the war ended.
They have gone so far and now look back at themself. Such action of shame, the days when we are still nothing but a nameless Valkyrie.
You can also look at it in the MV theme way: ''I wish this world would disappear.'' As the god of mechanical no longer feels the need of humans exiting.
As the next lyrics go:
"Behind this veil of anonymity" (Shu line)
"The ghosts of the dead-" (Mika line)
"Are dancing in the underground till the end of the trial" (Shu line)
There are two things I need to point out in detail here:
Firstly: The meaning of these lines seems to me as if they're talking about their trauma. Behind this veil is the old time, the old ghosts, look, they are all here, never left until we start open up with them. Until we learn how to heal ourselves from the brutal injury of war did we be able to make them leave
Secondly: Mika once again mentions death. It was Mika's own thing, if you don't know, death kinda became a thing that fond with Mika's style. Lots of times, we can see Mika associated with death ( mostly in the old song. )
In his 'In the Shadow' outfit, which had a deep connection with butterflies.
Butterflies are a symbol of the representative soul of a deceased person. In that outfit, Mika is represented by a blue butterfly, what was the meaning of that symbol?
A symbol of the soul who passed is nearby!
So, by now you would be questioning: "Why are there so many signs about death from Mika?" Well, glad you asked.
This all came down to the fact that Mika was being a doll in Valkyrie. Nazuna was also a doll himself, but he break free and Mika didn't.
Mika is dying from the inside, becoming the soulless, as he loses what support to belong to him. He sells it away, sacrifice it for the wish of making Valkyrie great again.
"Surrounded by faceless choirs, there's stand the lonely soloist
So, let's sing out loud to those who have no place to go, here's the truth."
Sung by both Mika and Shu.
In my belief, these lines are dedicated to them, the Valkyrie that got injured after the war. They got no hope, not thing to relied on.
Shu got a bad representation, lost his mind.
Mika also had to suffer from the event but he's trying his very best not to become a burden to Shu after Nazuna left.
That was the moment when Mika became more doll-like than how he was before.
We stood together, yet loneliness filled inside our souls. Becoming the "soloist" singer without notice.
"Sing to those who have no place"
They're telling themself, their pitiful past self that the daunting world is now no more.
We now have a place to stay, a home to be in, we've got our back.
Ok, ok, here it comes, MY FAVORITE LINE!
LIKE, THERE ARE SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT, I CAN'TTTTT
Ok, I can actually do that now ( since this analysis is already long as hell )
This line makes a connection to another line, which is:
"Here's the truth" - "Audience, please come"
"To the New World"
Isn't simply just about the god and the humans, it carries two meanings.
One is the literal, a sore thumb that sticks out the most to me: IT ABOUT THE VALKYRIE NEW ERAAAAA.
They maybe not yet healed, not yet prepared themself for the world outside, but they're now more happy than ever.
Shu is trying his best to understand Mika.
Mika is trying his best to become something of his own, escape from the realm of a soulless doll.
"Dancing with full bloom"
Like, uhm *raises eyebrows*, full bloom, full bloom you said?
The last time ( the first time Shu appeared in the game main story ), Shu said: "I am counting the days until we bring our blossoms together to make "Valkyrie" the most beautiful bouquet in the world."
And now ya said that you're FULL BLOOM? That can only mean one thing, they have finally found their meaning of art.
They may not "bloom" to the world but "bloom" to themself. Becoming different. They changing, they learning, and they are growing.
"where 0 and 1 dancing"
Yeh, you already know what I'm going to say. 0 and 1 are binary code or we usually call it "computer language" / bits.
0 and 1, is what this theme song is about. The mechanical god, the new world of mechanics. "0 and 1 dancing" is "The god is speaking".
Like, 0 1 then 1 0, 0 1 then 1 0, where 0 and 1 will change their place to make a byte, a string of bits, representing the god language.
And, it is just me or do I get the feeling that this goddess who wants to destroy a world in rust has his reason, he has a feeling that leaving the world like this, isn't a good idea.
Even if the humans are begging him to stop, he did not listen.
Because, in some of the next lines, we got this:
"A play that crueler than dream" (Shu line)
"With everyone's prayers" (Mika line)
"Everyone will remember it" (Shu line).
"Above the Surface world that full of selfishness and egoism" (Mika line)
The god see human as this selfish and only care for what they want most then how others feel.
"This lost child of the era, is confused by the fragile waves" (Mika line)
"So let's come and come into a new world trapped in 0 and 1" (Shu & Mika line)
Is about Valkyrie, IT ABOUT VALKYRIE. *Gone crazy at this point*
If you didn't know, Valkyris wasn't that used to the new system after the war. The DreamFes system made by Eichi, yeah, that one.
They skip school and most of the time do their show outside of school until Eichi himself steps in and threatens them to rejoin the school and accept the DreamFess system.
They were lost. Lost of the modern world, and still stay in the old era. Shu never wants to go back and join the DreamFes for once because how much he hated Eichi, and how much the war hurted him, yet, they return, make a change that not even Eichi can imagine of.
"Lost in their own tears, and still..." (Shu line)
"Falling away..." (Mika line)
They did, however, losing against Fine, and still...this was not the end.
THIS WAS A MARK FOR THE NEW BEGINNING.
That they're now known to DreamFes, open their mind and continue their journey.
That why the next line of the song came with a stronger beat. Bam! We are now reborn, we are now continue to blooming up on this world of hidden beauty. We'll find it and make art out of it!
"Scrutinize, lament, and let your own foolish schemes drive you crazy" (Shu line, it kinda fit Shu too)
"And now, ask yourself here and now." (Mika line)
"Is there an omnipotent being to be ruled?" (Both)
"And do you believe it?" (Shu line)
"Do you believe it?" (Mika line)
"Do you believe it?" (Both)
I think these lines are pointing to Shu and how he've been since the end of the war.
Scrutinize mean: examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
While lament mean: a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
After the war, Shu was cave for perfection even more than he was before, he wish to not made all that mistake again or else he might lose Mika too.
He drive himself crazy, then look back what happened, he started to ask questions.
He was so into perfection, he loses the meaning of art it self. He put himself into a jail, said that, this was all for the work of art, but it wasn't.
People are being harm for his actions, Mika wasn't getting any better if he keeps acting like this. Reckless and madness drive him away from the actual beauty in art that the old Shu was fond of.
So, he ask himself. If art is freedom, why so gaol...
"Is there an omnipotent being to be ruled?"
And realizing that, will he continue to be like this. Do you believe in such form of art that not bring happiness and joy?
For the bloom of Valkyrie, must we sacrifice our little life for the victory Shu wanted.
Also important element needed to be mention: Last Lament.
Meiyuu Deshi Kairou was released in 2023, and Last Lament which is also a Valkyrie song was released in 2017.
And in the song, there was this line: "It fine if we reach the brink of our dreams and rot forgotten."
"We'll use the flames of passion on us, to show them that we can melt even despair."
But, but! In their newest song ( from the Trip albums)
Shukufuku no Library
We can see, Shu is now accepting the future and wish for joy to Valkyrie then only to successfully reach their dream as soon as possible:
"Is it only success stories that are now illuminated by the love that shines down from the heavens?"
"No! An unfinished adventure stories is also a foolish memoir that's also precious."
"Come on, let's play the lovely poems of our lives and gently store them in the library of blessings."
Return, return, let's us get to the next line:
Ok, Ok, I love that they put both Friedrich Schiller work into one line!
"A play that's crueler than a dream" (Mika line)
"Everyone inside this veil wishing for something" (Shu line)
The god talk about everyone wishes, seeing their foolish little small wishes yet never to be turn into reality because the god already had their own plan for them.
It also Shu, talking to himself that even if life is cruel, everyone has their little dream.
"In the face of the myth of the Perfect world" (Shu line)
But Shu dream was too far from reality, can that Perfection he wished for really have a way to get?
From here on, the line repeat itself:
"confused by the fragile waves" (Shu line)
"This lost child of the era" (Mika line)
"So let's come and come into a new world trapped in 0 and 1" (Shu & Mika line)
But this time, Shu has become different, Valkyrie has changed! The lost child had found their way out of that jail!
"The labyrinth corridor, love is a Perfect world" (The back choir?)
And yes, he did be able to found out, love is the best way to a world he's wish for, no more madness from now on, only love and joy.
And maybe, just maybe, the goddess in this song also did.
Thank you for your time! Reading this.
It late now, and my ears...oh god...it had been listen to Meiyuu Deshi Kairou non-stop ( I remember like 8/10 of the goddam lyrics *cry and laughed at the same time* )
Also, one last thing...
In the 3D MV, noticed how Mika move, yes, he still keep that flexibility of him, but that not just a represent for a doll, Mika now turning it in to his own style of dance.
While Shu do art in a perfect and nicely organizing way.
Mika go for a chaos way that both resemble the old him and use it to make the new him.
In the last moment of the MV, Mika...I don't know if he forget or that is simply how the MV plays out, but there was a moment like this:
Mika when: Look at my Oshi-san!!!
Shu: Mika! Back up! You're supposed to be standing next to me.
Mika: Can i?
Shu: Yes. Yes you can. You're no longer a doll, but a human, a partner who place is staying next to me and performing art together.
Mika: Oh...I'm not fulling understand that, but ok! I'll try to stay next to you from now on!
( this is me, writing that out of thin air, the conversation may not be real, but the meaning are. Mika may be a little confused for suddenly got set free from being a soulless doll, he need his little time )
Thank...for reading...my dear ValkyrieP... I need a rest and a cup of coffee I guess *die*
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