Senbonzakura Disclaimer

~Senbonzakura Disclaimer~

This is admittedly a complicated song with a lot to talk about in it's themes, lyrics, translations, original PV, project diva PV, and subsequent novel and manga adaption. I've taken in as much media and analysis surrounding this song as an English speaker, so I could be as responsible as I can be going into this. I STRONGLY support you looking into the song and coming to your own conclusions. Ultimately, this is where I landed personally: I believe this song is largely about a transient time in Japanese history (ukiyo no manima ni (浮世の随まにまに) with Westernization and industrialism bringing about a lot of change and worry, especially to the youth of the time. This isn't an uncommon theme in Japanese media and it grapples with the fear of losing a strongly held culture. I can't speak in any certain terms on the imagery of the "guillotine" or "saints" as I think those parts are very open to interpretation (or at least I haven't found a very certain explanation). Do I believe this song is inherently meant to be a pro-imperialist song? Do I believe they sought to put out a pro-imperialist message? After what I've read, I'm not sure I could say those were the outright intentions. For example, this quote from Kurousa-P that "it is not something that encourages war". Now, do I believe including these themes could have been a short-sighted and maybe unknowingly ignorant choice? I'm leaning that towards that.

Things to consider:

- This interview with Kurousa-P talks more in depth about how the song and visuals came about. (http://1000bonzakura.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-23.html)
- This song was written after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, which could affect views on national pride at the time
- The novel/manga adaption is far more whimsical and fantasy-based. But it's hard to know if that was an afterthought or the original intention.
- Post-Senbonzakura quote: "I previously wrote a melody for a song related to Senbonzakura. But my attitude has changed since a year and a half ago, and I've started to want to give more thought to the worldview of my lyrics. I'd like to create one someday." - KuroUsa-P

There are a lot of outfits and visual elements that are undeniably rooted in a controversial time period with problematic history that is a painful reminder to many nations. But I don't know if I can label Kurousa-P or Ittomaru as "netto-uyoku" just on that. There's a nuanced discussion to be had around this song and I think it's important to be educated and aware of history. On a personal note, I don't feel comfortable with the use of war paraphernalia, especially in such a context. And I understand that, as an American, there's only so much I can understand in this larger conversation, so I really tried to avoid those visuals.

In the end, I really did my best on researching this song and hope it can still be enjoyed but with maybe a more educated view of the context in which it was born.