Karinui... beauty in despair

Now one may ask me, what I am doing, patronizing anime when I ought to be breaking my head over Statistical mechanics! And the answer to that question is........ fine! I don't have an answer! But that is not why we're here!

We're here to hear my views on Karinui - the ending song for the anime 'Jigoku Shoujo' (Hell Girl).

The story is about this Enma (a Japanese spirit from Hell) who avenges people for a fee (she gets to take the avenged to hell once they kick the bucket!). Strangely she's named Ai, which in Japanese means 'Love'.

She was actually brutally murdered by her village people who thought of her as a seed of evil. And they sought to bury her alive. The true blow fell when her good friend caved in to the pressure from the villagers and threw the first fistful of dirt into her grave. She rose from her grave soon after and burnt the village to the ground and as punishment for that act of vengeance, she was ordered to ferry spirits of the dead to Hell. And well... she's been doing it for more than 400 years now!

And I feel that the ending song - Karinui (Basting) suits Ai's personality like a glove.

It speaks of despair... of hope like a moth that's stuck in a spider's web... it struggles only to stay still again.

I'm including the lyrics of the song and the translation to let you guys know what I mean!

---------------KARINUI (BASTING)-----------------

Omoide o tsunde kimasho Hana o tsunde kimasho
Mune no yami ni ichirin sashi kazaru no
Itsu datte ikidomari de Kesshite nigerarenai
Sora no tori e kanashimi nose tobasu no

* Koko wa karinui
Watashi o
Shibaru eien
Iki mo kaeri mo
Sugite yuku wa yume

Hi ga kurete kage o kakusu Hitori nakitaku naru
Kuroku nijimu hitomi no naka kowakute

Koko wa karinui
Sekai o
Anda eien
Iki mo kaeri mo
Tsuite kuru wa kaze

Sukoshi dake yorimichishite naita…

* Repeat

Translation:

Let’s pick memories; let’s pick flowers
I’ll raise a ring to the darkness in my chest and decorate it
At the dead end all the time
I can never escape
I’ll let my sorrow ride on the birds in the sky and fly

* This place is the basting
The eternity that
Binds me
Whose going and returning passes by me is a dream

The sun sets and hides the shadows; alone, I feel like crying
The centers of my eyes that stain black will grow afraid

This is place is the basting
The eternity that
Knitted the world
Whose going and returning follows is the wind

I strayed away for a moment and wept…

* Repeat

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I got the lyrics from here >>>Clickity Clickity<<<

The song is so poetic and sad... and the singer, Mamiko Noto, her quiet, soft and yet beautiful voice makes the song take on such myriad shades of emotions! The first time I listened to it, I was like.... Beautiful! Just... Beautiful!

So do try to listen to it guys! Even if you don't understand the lyrics... it will move you!

P.S. Karinui is most often seen in kimono where the fabric is not stitched on purchase but has to be sewn every time it is worn and then the stitches are removed on removal. This saves the silk from damage and the kimono does not lose resale value! (if you know how much a good kimono costs, you'll know what I mean! ^__~)

Hope you guys get to listen this wonderful song! Ciao for now!